3Com 3CBLSG24 User Guide - Page 187

Switch Features 187 Table 11 Features of the Baseline Switch 2916-SFP Plus and Switch 2924-SFP Plus (continued) Feature MAC Address Capacity Support MAC Multicast Support MDI/MDIX Support Password Management Port-based Authentication Port-based Virtual LANs Port Mirroring RADIUS Clients Rapid Spanning Tree Remote Monitoring Self-Learning MAC Addresses Description The device supports up to 8K MAC addresses. The device reserves specific MAC addresses for system use. Multicast service is a limited broadcast service, which allows one-to-many and many-to-many connections for information distribution. Layer 2 Multicast service is where a single frame is addressed to a specific Multicast address, from where copies of the frame are transmitted to the relevant ports. The device automatically detects whether the cable connected to an RJ-45 port is crossed or straight through, when auto-negotiation is enabled. Standard wiring for end stations is Media-Dependent Interface (MDI) and the standard wiring for hubs and switches is known as Media-Dependent Interface with Crossover (MDIX). Password management provides increased network security and improved password control. Passwords for HTTP, HTTPS, and SNMP access are assigned security features. For more information on Password Management, see "Default Users and Passwords" page 27. Port-based authentication enables authenticating system users on a per-port basis via an external server. Only authenticated and approved system users can transmit and receive data. Ports are authenticated via the Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS) server using the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP). Port-based VLANs classify incoming packets to VLANs based on their ingress port. Port mirroring monitors and mirrors network traffic by forwarding copies of incoming and outgoing packets from a monitored port to a monitoring port. Users specify which target port receives copies of all traffic passing through a specified source port. RADIUS is a client/server-based protocol. A RADIUS server maintains a user database, which contains per-user authentication information, such as user name, password and accounting information. Spanning Tree can take 30-60 seconds for each host to decide whether its ports are actively forwarding traffic. Rapid Spanning Tree (RSTP) detects uses of network topologies to enable faster convergence, without creating forwarding loops. Remote Monitoring (RMON) is an extension to SNMP, which provides comprehensive network traffic monitoring capabilities (as opposed to SNMP which allows network device management and monitoring). RMON is a standard MIB that defines current and historical MAC-layer statistics and control objects, allowing real-time information to be captured across the entire network. The device enables automatic MAC address learning from incoming packets. The MAC addresses are stored in the Bridging Table