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DES-3010F/DES-3010FL/DES-3010G/DES-3016/DES-3018/DES-3026 Fast Ethernet Switch Manual
3
Ethernet Technology
Fast Ethernet
The growing importance of LANs and the increasing complexity of desktop computing applications are
fueling the need for high performance networks. A number of high-speed LAN technologies are proposed to
provide greater bandwidth and improve client/server response times. Among them, Fast Ethernet, or
100BASE-T, provides a non-disruptive, smooth evolution from 10BASE-T technology.
100Mbps Fast Ethernet is a standard specified by the IEEE 802.3 LAN committee. It is an extension of the
10Mbps Ethernet standard with the ability to transmit and receive data at 100Mbps, while maintaining the
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) Ethernet protocol.
Gigabit Ethernet Technology
Gigabit Ethernet is an extension of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet utilizing the same packet structure, format, and
support for CSMA/CD protocol, full duplex, flow control, and management objects, but with a tenfold
increase in theoretical throughput over 100Mbps Fast Ethernet and a one hundred-fold increase over
10Mbps Ethernet. Since it is compatible with all 10Mbps and 100Mbps Ethernet environments, Gigabit
Ethernet provides a straightforward upgrade without wasting a company's existing investment in hardware,
software, and trained personnel.
The increased speed and extra bandwidth offered by Gigabit Ethernet are essential to coping with the
network bottlenecks that frequently develop as computers and their busses get faster and more users use
applications that generate more traffic. Upgrading key components, such as your backbone and servers to
Gigabit Ethernet can greatly improve network response times as well as significantly speed up the traffic
between your sub-networks.
Gigabit Ethernet enables fast optical-fiber connections to support video conferencing, complex imaging, and
similar data-intensive applications. Likewise, since data transfers occur 10 times faster than Fast Ethernet,
servers outfitted with Gigabit Ethernet NIC's are able to perform 10 times the number of operations in the
same amount of time.
In addition, the phenomenal bandwidth delivered by Gigabit Ethernet is the most cost-effective method to
take advantage of today’s and tomorrow's rapidly improving switching and routing internetworking
technologies.
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 are not competing with each other for network
transmission capacity, and therefore decreasing the load on each segment.
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.