EOTec 2104 User Manual
Introduction
Do not use conventional switches and hubs in a ring topology.
Conventional switches and hubs
cannot
be used in ring topologies because of broadcast
storms. Broadcast storms can bring a network to a stop if conventional switches or hubs
are being used in a ring topology because of broadcast message reproduction. Using
Weed Ring Switches in the loop will prevent broadcast storms because they have the
intelligence to detect loops and to assign the necessary ports to be in the backup
(disabled) state. These backup ports are instantly enabled if the primary path in their
respective ring fails.
Feature Overview
The EOTec 2104 Ethernet Ring Switch supports both 10BaseT (10 Mbps) and
100BaseTX (100 Mbps) on its RJ45 ports. Each of these ports independently auto-
senses the speed, allowing you to interface to either regular or fast Ethernet devices. All
models also have 100BaseFX (100 Mbps) fiber optic ports. Various EOTec 2104 models
support maximum fiber optic cable lengths from 2 km to 60 km. Appendix B,
, includes more information on the different models.
An EOTec 2104 Ethernet Ring Switch has all the networking capability of a typical
unmanaged switch plus some advanced capability that you would find only in a
managed switch, including ring functionality. Like an unmanaged switch, the Weed Ring
Switch is
plug and play
, meaning that it can be used right out of the box without any user
configuration. This includes the ring functionality, which is already pre-configured in the
switch. This is suitable for most applications.
For advanced applications, you can use the EOTec 2104 Switch Tools (a Windows
software utility) to enable some advanced capabilities such as priority queuing for
prioritizing your traffic, message rate filtering for broadcast storm protection, and port
mirroring for diagnostics.
Important Note:
Only use Weed Ring Switches when connecting switches in a ring.
Weed Ring Switches use a specialized high-speed ring algorithm that only they can
recognize. Otherwise, these ring switches are fully IEEE 802.3 compatible.
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