HP CX 6300 Installation And Getting Started Manual page 39

The end node devices are connected to the switch by straight-through or crossover twisted-pair cables. Either cable
type can be used because of the IEEE Auto MDI/MDI-X features on the switch.
Figure 12 Example as a Segment Switch
The switch also works well as a segment switch. That is, with its high performance, it can be used for interconnecting
network segments. Simply connect the network hubs that form those segments to the switch or you can also
connect other switches.
In the preceding illustration, two fast Ethernet hubs with PCs, printers, and local servers attached, are both
connected to a switch. The devices attached to the two hubs can now communicate with each other through the
switch. They can also all communicate with the server that is connected to a 1000Base-T port on the switch.
Because the switch has the IEEE Auto MDI/MDI-X features, the connections between the switch and the hubs, and
between the switch and end nodes or servers, can be through category 5 straight-through or crossover twisted-pair
cable.
SmartRate speeds 2.5G/5G requires Category 5e cable.
If the connection is 10 Mbps only, then category 3 or 4 cable can also be used. In all cases, the device ports must be
configured to auto negotiate the link characteristics for this feature to work.
The switch, in turn, can be connected to a network backbone through fiber-optic cabling connected to a Gigabit-SX, -
LX, or -LH transceiver installed in the switch. Now, all the devices on these network segments can access other
network resources that are connected elsewhere on the network backbone.
HPE Aruba Networking CX 6300 Switch Series | Installation and Getting Started Guide 39