GarrettCom 4K-Series - Manual (Page 18)

Magnum 4K8 Switches Installation and User Guide (10/04)
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2.4 Applications
Magnum 4K8 Switches offer high performance and flexibility, and are easily
used in a variety of applications including client/server computing, performance
upgrades of departmental networks, and collapsed backbone applications. The Dual-
Speed characteristic of the 4K8 Switches enables them to inter-connect a series of
subnets (one subnet per 4K-Series Switch) in a LAN traffic center. The subnet
connections may be via either optional fiber or twisted pair cabling, and may be
100Mbps or 10 Mbps speed and full-or half-duplex mode.
The mixed-media capability is ideal for upgrading existing Ethernet LAN
networks, where existing cabling must be accommodated. The fiber-built-in media
capability is ideal for integrating future-proof fiber cabling into the LAN structure.
Example1: In general application, a Switch is needed to provide a Fast Ethernet
backbone. The backbone consists of four high-speed LAN segments, each operating
over 100MB full-duplex fiber lines. In addition to interconnecting the fiber backbone
segments in the network center, the Switch needs to provide high-speed switched support
for two central servers, for a 100MB connection to a router, and for a dual-speed hub
serving a local workgroup of over a dozen users, printers, etc.
The Magnum 4K8 equipped with one optional Fiber port and eight RJ-45 ports
provides an economical solution, configured with 8 switched ports ( 10/100 RJ-45) in a
rack-mount box. No Media Converters are needed. The Fiber FPM can be selected to
provide any 100Mbps fiber media connector type desired. FPMs with multi-mode or
single-mode fiber types are available.
This requirement for connecting local devices over twisted pair cabling is
handled by the Magnum 4K8 with one optional Fiber-Port Module. The FPM provides a
switched port for distance with high bandwidth throughput to the connected network
away from the present network.
Since 100Mb fiber Ethernet has severe distance limitations at half-duplex, it is
necessary in high speed backbones to operate fiber links in the full-duplex mode. Many
low-end switches that only have RJ-45 N-way 10/100Mb ports would need to have a
media converter on each fiber line. But most media converters do not support auto-
negotiation and would not enable the fiber backbone lines to operate full-duplex. But the