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Stackable NWay Ethernet Switch User’s Guide
Introduction 11
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NTRODUCTION
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-T,
provides a non-disruptive, smooth evolution from the current 10BASE-T technology. The dominating market
position virtually guarantees 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.