Switching Technology; Benefits Of Switching - D-Link DES-810 User Manual

10/100 Fast Ethernet Switch User's Guide

Switching Technology

Switching is fast becoming the industry standard for pushing the limits of
existing Ethernet networks. A switch bridges Ethernet packets between
Ethernet and Fast Ethernet LAN segments at the MAC address level of the
Ethernet protocol.
The difference between switched Ethernet (10Mbps, 100Mbps, or both) and
traditional Ethernet is analogous to the difference between a private phone
line and a party line. With switched Ethernet, each workgroup has a "private
line" so that transmitted packets don't have to wait as long to gain access to
the network. When connected to a switched port, each Ethernet segment has
full "wire-speed" access, so a switch effectively divides a single Ethernet
LAN into bridged multiple LAN segments. Each segment can support a
workgroup or even provide a dedicated connection for a key workstation or
server. The result of dividing an Ethernet LAN into multiple segments is a
multiplication of internal bandwidth available to all stations on the LAN and
a reduction in latency rates during peak-use periods.

Benefits of Switching

Ethernet switching technology drastically increases the total bandwidth of a
LAN. It also provides configuration flexibility to local workgroups which
allows the network administrator to better control how network resources are
distributed against network load. Switching helps reduce the congestion
problems inherent in the contention-oriented CSMA/CD protocol, thereby
improving network response during high utilization periods.
Also, currently popular distributed client/server applications often require
higher bandwidth and tighter client-to-server integration. Legacy 10Mbps
Ethernet often is unable to provide a sufficiently sophisticated platform for
users to be able to take full advantage of such client/server applications.
Fast Ethernet switching not only satisfies both technical and business needs,
it also preserves the current investment in the huge 10BASE-T Ethernet
Overview
5