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PLANNING
Benefits of Switching
Ethernet is traditionally a shared technology. Its media
(network cable) is shared, so only one transmission can take
place at a time. Its 10 Mbps bandwidth is shared too, so as
more users are added to the network, there is less available
bandwidth for each user. In addition to increased traffic,
Ethernet performance is also impacted by server bottlenecks,
and by the requirements of high-performance workstations and
high-bandwidth applications, such as those supporting multi-
media and workgroup collaboration. The result is decreased
network performance.
Network congestion can be relieved by microsegmentation.
This technique divides the network into individual segments
(collision domains). With fewer users on a segment competing
for the same 10 Mbps bandwidth, there is more bandwidth
available for each user. However, these segments must be
interconnected in order to communicate with one another.
Switches are the preferred method of interconnecting these
separate segments. They are more economical than bridges and
routers. They also offer higher performance, since the packet
latency of switches is considerably lower than that of bridges
and routers. And, the network upgrade is easier, faster and
less disruptive. Switches require at most only minimal reconfig-
uration, so there is less network downtime. Switches also
isolate network traffic, so problems on one segment, such as
faulty wiring and jabbering nodes, will not affect the rest of the
network.
Switched Ethernet — Multiple Simultaneous
Data Streams
Switches have multiple ports that are capable of transmitting
and receiving information simultaneously at full wire speed.
They integrate and build upon multi-port bridging functionality,
creating an engine powerful enough to microsegment the LAN