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4
Switching Technology
Another key development pushing the limits of Ethernet technology is in the
field of switching technology. A switch bridges Ethernet packets at the MAC
address level of the Ethernet protocol transmitting among connected Ethernet
or fast Ethernet LAN segments.
Switching is a cost-effective way of increasing the total network capacity
available to users on a LAN (local area network). A switch increases capacity
and decreases network loading by making it possible for a LAN to be divided
into different segments which don’t compete with each other for network
transmission capacity, giving a decreased load on each.
The switch acts as a high-speed selective bridge between the individual
segments. Traffic that needs to go from one segment to another (from one
port to another) is automatically forwarded by the switch, without interfering
with any other segments (ports). This allows the total network capacity to be
multiplied, while still maintaining the same network cabling and adapter
cards.
For Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet networks, a switch is an effective way
of eliminating problems of chaining hubs beyond the “two-repeater limit.” A
switch can be used to split parts of the network into different collision
domains, for example, making it possible to expand your Fast Ethernet
network beyond the 205-meter network diameter limit for 100BASE-TX
networks. Switches supporting both traditional 10Mbps Ethernet and
100Mbps Fast Ethernet are also ideal for bridging between existing 10Mbps
networks and new 100Mbps networks.
Switching LAN technology is a marked improvement over the previous
generation of network bridges, which were characterized by higher latencies.
Routers have also been used to segment local area networks, but the cost of a
router and the setup and maintenance required make routers relatively
impractical. Today’s switches are an ideal solution to most kinds of local area
network congestion problems.