User guide

16-Port 10/100Mbps Ethernet Switch (Rack Mount) User Guide
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switch bridge Ethernet packets at the MAC address level of
the Ethernet protocol transmitting among connected
Ethernet or Fast Ethernet LAN segments.
Switching is a cost-effective way of increasing the total
network capacity available to users on a local area network.
A switch increases capacity and decreases network loading
by dividing a local area network into different segments,
which don't compete with each other for network
transmission capacity.
The switch acts as a high-speed selective bridge between the
individual segments. The switch, without interfering with
any other segments, automatically forwards traffic that
needs to go from one segment to another. This multiplies
the total network capacity while maintaining the same
network cabling and adapter cards.
For Fast Ethernet networks, a switch is an effective way of
eliminating problems of chaining hubs beyond the “two-
repeater limit.” A switch can split parts of the network into
different collision domains, 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 the
existing 10Mbps networks and the 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, the setup and maintenance required make routers
relatively impractical. Today switches are an ideal solution
to most kinds of local area network congestion problems.