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Chapter 2 39
Networking Concepts
Network Design Questions
Network Design Questions
Ask yourself the following questions to make sure your design adheres
to the considerations mentioned above:
1. Are all of the nodes in the network within roughly 200 meters of
each other?
If so, consider connecting them with 100Base-T links, or ThinLAN
links with Ethertwist. For entry-level servers, choose ThinLAN since
that adapter will offload part of the CPU load.
2. Are all of the nodes in the network within roughly 550 meters of
each other?
If so, consider connecting them with ThinLAN 3000/iX links. The
maximum cable length for segments of ThinLAN 3000/iX cable is
185 meters, with a maximum of three segments connected by
repeaters.
3. Are all of the nodes in the network within roughly 1,500 meters of
each other?
If so, consider connecting them with ThickLAN (thick coaxial cable).
The maximum cable length for each segment of ThickLAN coaxial
cable is 500 meters, with a maximum of three segments connected
by repeaters.
4. Are all of the nodes in the network located within 2 kilometers of
each other?
If so, consider using FDDI/iX links. The maximum cable length for
each segment is 2 kilometers with a maximum network length of up
to 200 kilometers.
5. Are nodes located at remote sites? (For example, in different
buildings in the same city, or in different cities?)
If so, consider installing an X.25 network or a Point-to-Point network
using dial links or leased lines. Choose leased lines if you have a
critical need for clear transmission or if the volume of data to be
transmitted is relatively large.
Routers, switches, bridges and hubs are used to set up networks.
• Routers are used to route packets between networks and subnets
based on the packets destination address.
• Bridges are used to connect two LAN networks that are far apart.
• Hubs are multiport repeaters, used to build or extend a LAN
network. New nodes can be added to the LAN without disrupting
the existing network.