3Com 3C16792A User Guide - Page 5

INTRODUCTION Welcome to the world of networking with 3Com® . In the modern business environment, communication and sharing information is crucial. Computer networks have proved to be one of the fastest modes of communication but, until recently, only large businesses could afford the networking advantage. The OfficeConnect® product range from 3Com has changed this, bringing networks to the small office. As the power of workstations and business applications increases, heavier demands are made on the available network bandwidth that, if unchecked, can lead to performance problems in a hub-based setup. Installing the OfficeConnect Dual Speed Switch 4 (3C16733A), Switch 8 (3C16734A) or Switch 16 (3C16735A) allows your network to be segmented so that traffic can be contained effectively, reducing the overall load without affecting access to critical resources. When referring to the Switch 4, Switch 8 and Switch 16, this guide uses the term 'Switch'. The Switch is ideal for use with other OfficeConnect products, as shown in Figure 1. It is compact and attractively designed for desktop use. The Switch is part of the OfficeConnect range which neatly stack together with the OfficeConnect Stacking clip. Figure 1 Small Network with OfficeConnect Dual Speed Switch (Circle Shows Units Clipped Together) 10BASE-T OfficeConnect hub OfficeConnect Switch 100BASE-TX OfficeConnect hub The Switch has four, eight or sixteen 10/100BASE-TX ports. This allows you to set up a network with both 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX hubs and workstations. 5