Ethernet Overview
73
Benefits
Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet technologies allow you to
configure and optimize:
■
Link bandwidths
■
Link availability
Link Bandwidths
As your network needs to support more users and increasingly
bandwidth-intensive applications, you can configure Ethernet networks
to keep pace with (or exceed) the capacity demands at two locations:
■
To end stations
— Depending on your application needs and
network growth, you can migrate workstation connections from
shared 10 Mbps to switched 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet. 3Com’s
Ethernet network interface cards (NICs) can automatically sense and
configure themselves to an upgraded connection speed.
■
Between servers and switches
— Ethernet systems allow you to
increase the bandwidth between switches or between servers and
switches as your network requires. This increase is accomplished using
trunking
technology (also called
link aggregation
), which works at
Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Layer 2. For more information
about trunking, see Chapter 8.
Link Availability
Ethernet technologies also allow you to design high levels of availability
into your network through the use of trunking. A trunk enhances
network availability because its underlying TCMP technology detects and
handles physical configuration errors in point-to-point configurations. For
more information about trunking, see Chapter 8.
Other Benefits
The hierarchy of Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet
technologies offers these additional network benefits:
■
Easy configuration and expansion of point-to-point links
■
Increased support for workstation moves, adds, changes, and
upgrades
■
Low-cost expansion of switch-to-switch or switch-to-server
bandwidths without having to change device modules or cabling
■
With PACE Interactive Access, reduction of network jitter, improved
network timing, and optimization of LAN bandwidth use
Summary of Contents for CoreBuilder 3500
Page 44: ...44 CHAPTER 2 MANAGEMENT ACCESS ...
Page 58: ...58 CHAPTER 3 SYSTEM PARAMETERS ...
Page 86: ...86 CHAPTER 5 ETHERNET ...
Page 112: ...112 CHAPTER 6 FIBER DISTRIBUTED DATA INTERFACE FDDI ...
Page 208: ...208 CHAPTER 9 VIRTUAL LANS ...
Page 256: ...256 CHAPTER 10 PACKET FILTERING ...
Page 330: ...330 CHAPTER 12 VIRTUAL ROUTER REDUNDANCY PROTOCOL VRRP ...
Page 356: ...356 CHAPTER 13 IP MULTICAST ROUTING ...
Page 418: ...418 CHAPTER 14 OPEN SHORTEST PATH FIRST OSPF ...
Page 519: ...RSVP 519 Figure 94 Sample RSVP Configuration Source station End stations Routers ...
Page 566: ...566 CHAPTER 18 DEVICE MONITORING ...
Page 572: ...572 APPENDIX A TECHNICAL SUPPORT ...
Page 592: ...592 INDEX ...