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Stackable NWay Ethernet Switch User’s Guide
Introduction 3
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, Fast Ethernet, or Gigabit
Ethernet LAN segments.
Switching is a cost-effective way of increasing the total network
capacity available to users on a local area network. A switch
increases capacity and decreases network loading by making it
possible for a local area network 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