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24-port NWay Ethernet Switch User’s Guide
Introduction 1
1
INTRODUCTION
This section describes the features of the Switch, as well as giving some background information about Ethernet/Fast
Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, and switching technology.
Fast Ethernet Technology
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-TX, provides a non-disruptive, smooth
evolution from the current 10BASE-T technology. The dominating market position virtually guarantee cost effective and
high performance Fast Ethernet solutions in the years to come.
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 is 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 subnets.
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 and tomorrow’s rapidly improving switching and routing internetworking technologies. And with expected
advances in the coming years in silicon technology and digital signal processing that will enable Gigabit Ethernet to
eventually operate over unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cabling, outfitting your network with a powerful 1000Mbps-capable
backbone/server connection creates a flexible foundation for the next generation of network technology products.