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ES-3026/3026P
2
N
ETWORK
P
LANNING
I
NTRODUCTION
T
O
S
WITCHING
A network switch allows simultaneous transmission of multiple packets via
non-crossbar switching. This means that it can partition a network more
efficiently than bridges or routers. The switch has, therefore, been
recognized as one of the most important building blocks for today’s
networking technology.
When performance bottlenecks are caused by congestion at the network
access point (such as the network card for a high-volume file server), the
device experiencing congestion (server, power user, or hub) can be
attached directly to a switched port. And, by using full-duplex mode, the
bandwidth of the dedicated segment can be doubled to maximize
throughput.
When networks are based on repeater (hub) technology, the distance
between end stations is limited by a maximum hop count. However, a
switch turns the hop count back to zero. So subdividing the network into
smaller and more manageable segments, and linking them to the larger
network by means of a switch, removes this limitation.
A switch can be easily configured in any Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, or Gigabit
Ethernet network to significantly boost bandwidth while using conventional
cabling and network cards.
A
PPLICATION
E
XAMPLES
The switches are not only designed to segment your network, but also to
provide a wide range of options in setting up network connections. Some
typical applications are described below.
C
OLLAPSED
B
ACKBONE
The switches are an excellent choice for mixed Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and
Gigabit Ethernet installations where significant growth is expected in the
near future. You can easily build on this basic configuration, adding direct
full-duplex connections to workstations or servers. When the time comes
for further expansion, just connect to another hub or switch using one of
the Fast Ethernet ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, or a plug-in SFP
transceiver on the front panel.
In the figure below, the ES-3026P is operating as a collapsed backbone for
a small LAN. It is providing dedicated 10 Mbps full-duplex connections to
