Introduction - 3Com 3C16753 - OfficeConnect Dual Speed Hub 8 User Manual

I
NTRODUCTION
Welcome to the world of networking with 3Com
modern business environment, communication and sharing
information is crucial. Computer networks have proved to
be one of the fastest modes of communication but, until
recently, only large businesses could afford the networking
advantage. The OfficeConnect
has changed this, bringing networks to the small office.
The OfficeConnect Dual Speed Hub 5, Hub 8 and Hub 16
are ideal for creating small networks. They are compact and
attractively designed for desktop use and can be used with
other OfficeConnect products. These products form part of
the OfficeConnect range which neatly stack together with
the OfficeConnect stacking clip.
The OfficeConnect Dual Speed Hubs are easy-to-use Class II
hubs (repeaters) with 10/100BASE-TX ports. All three hubs
allow you to set up a network with both Ethernet (10Mbps)
and Fast Ethernet (100Mbps) workstations and other
devices. Refer to "Connecting Another OfficeConnect Hub"
on page 13 for more information.
When referring to these products, this guide uses the term
'Hub'.
Each port on the Hub can be connected to either a
10BASE-T (Ethernet) or a 100BASE-TX (Fast Ethernet) device.
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. In the
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product range from 3Com
The port senses the speed of the connected equipment and
operates at the appropriate speed. If you wish to extend an
existing Ethernet network into Fast Ethernet, adding a Dual
Speed Hub 5, Hub 8 and Hub 16, can offer a more
cost-effective migration path than adding both a 100Mbps
hub and a 10/100Mbps switch.
Figure 1 Small Network With OfficeConnect
If you need to connect more workstations, simply use the
stacking clip to connect another OfficeConnect hub to form
a stack.
5
®
Dual Speed Hub