Alloy Computer Products NS-16T01FS Manuel D’Utilisation

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Switching Technology 
Another approach to pushing beyond the limits of Ethernet 
technology is the development of switching technology. A switch 
bridges Ethernet packets at the MAC address level 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 dividing a 
local area network into different segments, which don’t compete 
with each other for network transmission capacity. 
The switch acts as a high-speed selective bridge between the
 
individual segments.  The switch, without interfering with any 
other segments, automatically forwards traffic that needs to go 
from one segment to another.  By doing this the total network 
capacity is multiplied, while still maintaining the same network 
cabling and adapter cards. 
Switching LAN technology is a marked improvement over the 
previous generation of network bridges, which were 
characterized by higher latencies.  Routers have also been used to 
segment local area networks, but the cost of a router, the setup 
and maintenance required make routers relatively impractical.  
Today switches are an ideal solution to most kinds of local area 
network congestion problems.