10/100 Fast Ethernet Switch User’s Guide
2
Introduction
Switching Technology
Another approach to pushing beyond the limits of Ethernet
technology is the development of Switching technology. A switch
bridges Ethernet packets at the MAC address level of the Ethernet
protocol transmitting among connected Ethernet or fast Ethernet
LAN segments.
Switching is a cost-effective way of increasing the total network
capacity available to users on a local area network. A switch
increases capacity and decreases network loading by making it
possible for a local area network to be divided into different
segments
which don’t compete with each other for network
transmission capacity, giving a decreased load on each.
The switch acts as a high-speed selective bridge between the
individual segments. Traffic that needs to go from one segment to
another is automatically forwarded by the switch, without
interfering with any other segments. This allows the total
network capacity to be multiplied, while still maintaining the
same network cabling and adapter cards.
For Fast Ethernet networks, a switch is an effective way of
eliminating problems of chaining hubs beyond the “two-repeater
limit.” A switch can be used to split parts of the network into
different collision domains, making it possible to expand your Fast
Ethernet network beyond the 205 meter network diameter limit
for 100BASE-TX networks. Switches supporting both traditional
10Mbps Ethernet and 100Mbps Fast Ethernet are also ideal for
bridging between existing 10Mbps networks and new 100Mbps
networks.
Switching LAN technology is a marked improvement over the
previous generation of network bridges, which were characterized
by higher latencies. Routers have also been used to segment local
area networks, but the cost of a router and the setup and
