Compex GSM8308 Datasheet

Technote - 077 (Rev 1.0)
8-Port Gigabit Modular Layer 2/3 Switch
The modularity of GSM8308 Layer 2/3 switch provides a flexible solution for both
campus networks and enterprises networks of all sizes. The GSM8308 switch
provides Gigabit wire-speed Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching, based on physical
device addresses and
performance in enterprise networking.
In large networks that handle a lot of traffic, broadcast storms can result if it is not
properly contained. In conventional networks with routers, broadcast traffic is split up
into separate physical domains to confine this traffic to the originating group. Instead
of using physically separate subnets that are linked by traditional slow routers,
GSM8308 creates segregated broadcast domains based on easily configurable
VLANs, and links these VLANs as required with wire-speed routing. This would
reduce the network broadcast by the switch and markedly improves the performance
of the network.
GSM8308 supports comprehensive layer 2 switching and management functions,
including IEEE 802.1p/q VLAN tagging, Spanning Tree, port-trunking, and
port-mirroring. It supports Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
management and 4 groups of Remote Monitoring (RMON) and can be managed by a
CLI through Telnet or the console port, or through a web browser graphical interface.
When GSM8308 is set to multilayer mode, it acts as a routing switch. As a layer 3
switch, GSM8308 provides two major functions: - IP Switching and Routing Path
Management. With IP Switching, GSM8308 basically provide wire-speed forwarding
based on IP destination address. If packets are to be forwarded outside the switch, the
routing path is determined by static routes manually stored in the switch, or through
dynamic routing protocols. GSM8308 supports ICMP router discovery, Proxy ARP,
Routing Information Protocol (RIP and RIP-2), Open Shortest Path First (OSPFv2)
for routing path management in a network with many routers. GSM8308 does not
support non-IP protocols such as IPX and Appletalk.
GSM8308 supports IP multicast filtering. It does this not only by passively
monitoring (snooping) Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) Query and
Report messages and Distance-Vector Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP) Probe
messages to register end-stations as multicast group members, but also by actively
sending Generic Multicast Registration Protocol (GMRP) Query messages to learn
the location of multicast routers/switches and member hosts in multicast groups
within each VLAN. This is especially useful in an intensive multicast environment
where video conferencing or data sharing is widely used. The purpose of IP multicast
filtering is to optimize a switched network's performance, so multicast packets will
only be forwarded to those ports containing multicast group hosts or multicast
routers/switches, instead of flooding traffic to all ports in the subnet.
GSM8308
IP network addresses, thus giving the utmost switching
DATA SHEET