Network Configuration Examples; Design Concepts For Using The Switch - Cisco 2950 - Catalyst Switch Configuration Manual

Network Configuration Examples

Network Configuration Examples
This section provides network configuration concepts and includes examples of using the switch to
create dedicated network segments and interconnecting the segments through Fast Ethernet and Gigabit
Ethernet connections.
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Design Concepts for Using the Switch

As your network users compete for network bandwidth, it takes longer to send and receive data. When
you configure your network, consider the bandwidth required by your network users and the relative
priority of the network applications they use.
Table 1-3
network to increase the bandwidth available to your network users.
Table 1-3 Increasing Network Performance
Network Demands
Too many users on a single network segment
and a growing number of users accessing the
Internet
Increased power of new PCs,
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workstations, and servers
High demand from networked
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applications (such as e-mail with large
attached files) and from
bandwidth-intensive applications (such
as multimedia)
Bandwidth alone is not the only consideration when designing your network. As your network traffic
profiles evolve, consider providing network services that can support applications such as voice and data
integration and security.
Table 1-4
Catalyst 2950 and Catalyst 2955 Switch Software Configuration Guide
1-10
"Design Concepts for Using the Switch" section on page 1-10
"Small to Medium-Sized Network Configuration" section on page 1-13
"Collapsed Backbone and Switch Cluster Configuration" section on page 1-14
"Hotel Network Configuration" section on page 1-15
"Service-Provider Central-Office Configuration" section on page 1-18
"Large Campus Configuration" section on page 1-19
"Multidwelling Network Using Catalyst 2950 Switches" section on page 1-20
"Long-Distance, High-Bandwidth Transport Configuration" section on page 1-22
describes what can cause network performance to degrade and how you can configure your
Suggested Design Methods
Create smaller network segments so that fewer users share the
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bandwidth, and use VLANs and IP subnets to place the network
resources in the same logical network as the users who access those
resources most.
Use full-duplex operation between the switch and its connected
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workstations.
Connect global resources—such as servers and routers to which network
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users require equal access—directly to the Fast Ethernet or Gigabit
Ethernet switch ports so that they have their own Fast Ethernet or Gigabit
Ethernet segment.
• Use the Fast EtherChannel or Gigabit EtherChannel feature between the
switch and its connected servers and routers.
describes some network demands and how you can meet those demands.
Chapter 1 Overview
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