D-Link DGS-3204 - Switch - EN 100VG-AnyLAN User Manual page 17

Gigabit Ethernet Switch User's Guide
into different segments which don't compete with each
other for network transmission capacity, giving a
decreased load on each.
The switch acts as a high-speed selective bridge between
the individual segments. Traffic that needs to go from one
segment to another is automatically forwarded by the
switch, without interfering with any other segments. This
allows the total network capacity to be multiplied, while
still maintaining the same network cabling and adapter
cards.
For Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet networks, a switch is
an effective way of eliminating problems of chaining hubs
beyond the "two-repeater limit." A switch can be used to
split parts of the network into different collision domains,
for example, making it possible to expand your Fast
Ethernet network beyond the 205 meter network diameter
limit for 100BASE-TX networks. Switches supporting both
traditional 10Mbps Ethernet and 100Mbps Fast Ethernet
are also ideal for bridging between existing 10Mbps
networks and new 100Mbps networks.
Switching LAN technology is a marked improvement over
the previous generation of network bridges, which were
characterized by higher latencies. Routers have also been
used to segment local area networks, but the cost of a
router and the setup and maintenance required make
routers relatively impractical. Today 's switches are an
ideal solution to most kinds of local area network
congestion problems.
Introduction 3