D-Link DES-2108/E [17/199] Switching technology

24-port NWay Ethernet Switch User’s Guide

Introduction 3

creates a flexible foundation for the next generation of network

technology products.

Switching Technology

Another key development pushing the limits of Ethernet

technology is in the field of switching technology. A switch bridges

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 making it

possible for a local area network to be divided 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 (from one port to another) is automatically forwarded by

the switch, without interfering with any other segments (ports).

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.

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Interface