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environments, it provides a straightforward upgrade and takes
advantage of the existing investment in hardware, software, and
personnel training.
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.