D-Link DSH-16 User Guide - Page 6

Switching Technology Another approach to pushing beyond the limits of Ethernet technology is the development of switching technology. A switch bridges and transmits Ethernet packets at the MAC address level of the Ethernet protocol, 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 local area network. A switch increases capacity and decreases network loading by dividing a local area network into different segments. Each segment has its own bandwidth and it does not compete with others for network transmission capacity. A switch acts as a high-speed selective bridge between the individual segments. The switch forwards traffic from origin segment to destination segment, without interfering with any other segments. By doing this, the total network capacity is multiplied, while still maintaining the same network cabling and adapter cards. For Fast Ethernet networks, a switch is an effective way of eliminating problems of uplinking Fast Ethernet hubs beyond the "two-repeater limit". A switch can be used to split parts of the network into different collision domains, making it possible to expand your Fast Ethernet network beyond the 205-meter network diameter limit. The switch supports both traditional 10Mbps Ethernet and 100Mbps Fast Ethernet, which is also ideal for bridging between the existing 10Mbps networks and the new 100Mbps networks. LAN Switching technology is a marked improvement over the previous generation of network bridges, which were criticized by their higher latencies. Routers have also been used to segment local area networks. But, the router expensive, difficult to setup, and maintenance intensive, these make it relatively impractical for the network. Switch, on the other hand, is less expensive, easier to setup, and practically maintenance free, which make it an ideal solution to today's local area network congestion problems. 2