10/100 Fast Ethernet Switch User’s Guide
Overview
5
Connectivity Rules
•
The maximum length of a twisted-pair segment (that is,
distance between a port in the hub to a single-address
network device such as a PC, server, or LAN switch) is 100
meters.
•
The maximum diameter in a collision domain is about 205
meters using two Class II hubs (hub stacks) and 200 meters
using one Class I hub.
•
Between any two end-stations in a collision domain, there
may be up to three segments and two Class II hubs or two
segments and one Class I hub.
Switching Technology
Switching is fast becoming the industry standard for pushing the
limits of existing Ethernet networks. A switch bridges Ethernet
packets between Ethernet and Fast Ethernet LAN segments at
the MAC address level of the Ethernet protocol.
The difference between switched Ethernet (10Mbps, 100Mbps, or
both) and traditional Ethernet is analogous to the difference
between a private phone line and a party line. With switched
Ethernet, each workgroup has a “private line” so that transmitted
packets don’t have to wait as long to gain access to the network.
When connected to a switched port, each Ethernet segment has
full “wire-speed” access, so a switch effectively divides a single
Ethernet LAN into bridged multiple LAN segments. Each
segment can support a workgroup or even provide a dedicated
connection for a key workstation or server. The result of dividing
an Ethernet LAN into multiple segments is a multiplication of
internal bandwidth available to all stations on the LAN and a
reduction in latency rates during peak-use periods.
