D-Link DES-1016D - Manual (Page 9)

DES-1016D Fast Ethernet Switch User’s Guide
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NTRODUCTION
This section describes the features of the Switch, as well as giving some background information
about Fast 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 10BASE-T technology.
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.
Switching Technology
Switching technology pushes the limits of Ethernet technology. Switches allow Ethernet packets
to be switched at the MAC address level (physical layer) of the Ethernet protocol transmitting
among connected Ethernet or fast Ethernet LAN segments.
Switching is a cost-effective way of increasing the total network capacity available to users on a
local area network. A switch increases capacity and decreases network loading by making it
possible for a local area network to be divided into different segments which do not compete with
each other for network transmission capacity, giving a decreased load on each.
An Ethernet switch acts as a high-speed selective bridge between individual segments of an
Ethernet network. In circumstances where data needs to be sent from one segment to another
(from one port to another), data traffic is forwarded automatically by the switch without
interfering with any other segments (ports). This allows the total network capacity to be
multiplied, without changing network cabling or adding adapter cards.
For Fast Ethernet networks, a switch is an effective way of eliminating problems of chaining
hubs beyond the “two-repeater limit.” A switch can be used to split parts of the network into
different collision domains, for example, making it possible to expand your Fast Ethernet
network beyond the 205 meter network diameter limit for 100BASE-TX networks. Switches that
support both traditional 10Mbps Ethernet and 100Mbps Fast Ethernet are also ideal for bridging
between incumbent 10Mbps networks and 100Mbps networks.
Switching LAN technology is a marked improvement over the previous generation of network
bridges, which were characterized by relatively high latencies. Routers can also been used to
segment local area networks, but the cost of a router combined with the setup and maintenance