How The Switch Can Be Used; Switching - 3Com 3C16735A - OfficeConnect Switch User Manual

How the Switch Can Be Used

Switching

When a network of repeater hubs is in operation, any
information that is sent by the workstations is passed
around the whole network (regardless of the destination of
the information). This can result in a lot of unnecessary
traffic that can slow the network down. The Switch solves
this problem because it 'listens' to the network and
automatically learns what workstations can be reached
through its ports. It can then selectively pass on any
information by transmitting the traffic from the relevant port
only (instead of all ports like a repeater hub). This operation
is called 'switching'.
The Switch effectively divides up your network, localizing
the network traffic and passing on traffic as necessary (as
shown in Figure 2). If you have workstations that
communicate frequently in the same part of the network,
traffic between them is not passed to the remainder of the
network, reducing the load. If you have any high
performance workstations that require a lot of bandwidth,
connect them directly to the Switch.
Figure 2 The Switch Separates Your Network and Controls the
Information Effectively
100BASE-TX
High performance
workstation
9
10BASE-T
OfficeConnect hub
OfficeConnect Switch
100BASE-TX
OfficeConnect
hub