5
provides a straightforward upgrade and takes advantage of the
existing investment in hardware, software, and personnel training.
Switching Technology
Another key development pushing the limits of Ethernet technology is
in the field 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 making it possible for a
local area network to be divided into different
segments
which don’t
compete with each other for network transmission capacity, giving a
decreased load on each.
The switch acts as a high-speed selective bridge between the
individual segments. Traffic that needs to go from one segment to
another is automatically forwarded by the switch, without interfering
with any other segments. This allows the total network capacity to be
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 and the setup and maintenance required make
routers relatively impractical. Today’s switches are an ideal solution to
most kinds of local area network congestion problems.
