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Gigabit Ethernet Switch User's Guide
Gigabit Ethernet enables fast optical fiber connections to support
video conferencing, complex imaging, and similar data-intensive
applications. Likewise, since data transfers occur 10 times faster
than Fast Ethernet, servers outfitted with Gigabit Ethernet NIC's
are able to perform 10 times the number of operations in the same
amount of time.
In addition, the phenomenal bandwidth delivered by Gigabit
Ethernet is the most cost-effective method to take advantage of
today and tomorrow's rapidly improving switching and routing
internetworking technologies. And with expected advances in the
coming years in silicon technology and digital signal processing
that will enable Gigabit Ethernet to eventually operate over
unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cabling, outfitting your network
with a powerful 1000Mbps-capable backbone/server connection
creates a flexible foundation for the next generation of network
technology products.
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 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 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
2
Introduction
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