24-port NWay Ethernet Switch User’s Guide
38
Switch Management and Operating Concepts
Authentication
The authentication protocol ensures that both the router SNMP
agent and the remote user SNMP application program discard
packets from unauthorized users. Authentication is
accomplished using ‘community strings’, which function like
passwords. The remote user SNMP application and the router
SNMP must use the same community string. SNMP community
strings of up to 20 characters may be entered under the
Remote
Management Setup
menu of the console program.
Packet Forwarding
The Switch enters the relationship between destination MAC or
IP addresses and the Ethernet port or gateway router the
destination resides on into its forwarding table. This information
is then used to forward packets. This reduces the traffic
congestion on the network, because packets, instead of being
transmitted to all ports, are transmitted to the destination port
only. Example: if Port 1 receives a packet destined for a station
on Port 2, the Switch transmits that packet through Port 2 only,
and transmits nothing through the other ports. This process is
referred to as ‘learning’ the network topology.
MAC Address Aging Time
The Aging Time affects the learning process of the Switch.
Dynamic forwarding table entries, which are made up of the
source and destination MAC addresses and their associated port
numbers, are deleted from the table if they are not accessed
within the aging time.
