User’s Manual: SW-10200
35
APPENDIX B: Store-and-Forward
Store-and-Forward is one type of packet-forwarding technique. A Store-and-Forward Ethernet switch stores the
incoming frame in an internal buffer; complete error checking is done before transmission to eliminate the occurrence of
error packets. This is the best choice when a network efficiency and stability are a priority.
The switch scans the destination address from the packet-header, searches the routing table provided for the incoming
port and forwards the packet, only if required. The fast forwarding makes the switch ideal for connecting servers directly to
the network, thereby increasing throughput and availability. However, the switch is most commonly used to segment existing
hubs, which nearly always improves overall performance. An Ethernet switch can be easily configured in any network
environment to significantly boost bandwidth using conventional cabling and adapters.
Due to the learning function of the switch, the source address and corresponding port number of each incoming and
outgoing packet are stored in a routing table. This information is subsequently used to filter packets whose destination
address is on the same segment as the source address. This confines network traffic to its respective domain and reduce
the overall load on the network.
The Switch performs "Store and forward" therefore, no error packets occur. More reliably, it reduces the rate of re-
transmissions. No packet loss will occur.