Nortel Networks 1000ASE-XD - Manual (Page 39)

Chapter 1 BayStack 420 Switch 39
Using the BayStack 420 10/100/1000 Switch
MultiLink Trunking
The MultiLink Trunking feature allows you to group multiple ports, two to four
together, when forming a link to another switch or server, thus increasing
aggregate throughput of the interconnection between two devices, up to 800 Mb/s
in full-duplex mode. The BayStack 420 Switch can be configured with up to six
MultiLink Trunks in a stack. The trunk members can only be configured within a
single unit in the stack.
For more information about the MultiLink Trunking feature, see “MultiLink
Trunk Configuration Menu screen” on page 133 .
Port mirroring (conversation steering)
The port mirroring feature (sometimes referred to as conversation steering) allows
you to designate a single switch port as a traffic monitor for a specified port. You
can specify port-based monitoring for ingress to a specific port. You can also
attach a probe device (such as a Nortel Networks StackProbe, or equivalent) to the
designated monitor port.
For more information about the port mirroring feature, see “Port Mirroring
Configuration screen” on page 139 .
Autosensing, autonegotiation, and autopolarity
The BayStack 420 switches are autosensing and autonegotiating devices:
• The term autosense refers to a port’s ability to sense the speed of an attached
device.
• The term autonegotiation refers to a standardized protocol (IEEE 802.3u) that
exists between two IEEE 802.3u-capable devices. Autonegotiation allows the
switch to select the best of both speed and duplex modes.
• The term autopolarity refers to automatic detection of transmit and receive
twisted pairs.