D-Link DGS-1008TL [7/17] Switching technology

Switching Technology

Switching is a cost-effective way of increasing the total network

capacity available to users on a LAN. If an Ethernet network begins

to display symptoms of congestion, low throughput, slow response

times, and high rates of collision, installing a switch to a network

can preserve much or all of the existing network's cabling and

workstation interface card infrastructure, while still greatly

enhancing the throughput for users. A switch is a viable solution

even if demanding applications, such as multimedia production and

video conferencing, are on the horizon. The most promising

techniques, as well as the best return on investment, could well

consist of installing the right mixture of Ethernet switches.

A switch increases capacity and decreases network loading by

dividing a local area network into different LAN segments.

Dividing a LAN into multiple segments is one of the most common

ways of increasing available bandwidth. If segmented correctly,

most network traffic will remain within a single segment, enjoying

the full-line speed bandwidth of that segment.

Switches provide full-line speed and dedicated bandwidth for all

connections. This is in contrast to hubs, which use the traditional

shared networking topology, where the connected nodes contend

for the same network bandwidth. When two switching nodes are

communicating, they are connected with a dedicated channel

between them, so there is no contention for network bandwidth

with other nodes. As a result, the switch reduces considerably, the

likelihood of traffic congestion.