Physical Installation
The physical location of the hub should be carefully planned. When planning
the hub's location, users should pay attention to the following factors:
- Ventilation : When installing the hub, users should make sure there are
open spaces of at least 10 centimeters both in front and behind the hub.
- Light : Like any other electronic device, keep the hub away from direct sun-
light or intense light sources.
- Interference : A Fast Ethernet hub should be kept away from any heat
source or electromagnetic interference to avoid malfunctions.
- Power source : The hub should be installed near a power outlet, preferably
one located in a position that is central to all network end
nodes.
- Hardware : The availability of all connectors and cables required to install
the hub and network should be checked.
- Distance from wall adapter : Direct connection between the wall adapters
and the hub is preferable.
- Airflow : This is crucial. Nothing should press against the hub's left or right
sides. Also, the square ventilation holes located on the hub's sides
must not be blocked in any way. Constant cool air is needed by
the hub to ensure top performance.
Users should also remember that the network diameter of an uplinked Fast
Ethernet network must not exceed 205 meters. For this reason, the path of cables
and the hub's location have to be studied carefully.
14
Chapter 5 - continued
