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5-Port 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet Switch User Guide
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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 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.
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.