3Com 5017C-LS, 5017C with load sharing TriChannel Architecture, Port-Switching Technology

TriChannel Architecture

The ONline System Concentrator's TriChannel architecture lets you run Ethernet, Token Ring, and FDDI networks, all in the same concentrator. This allows a single ONline unit to do the work of three conventional hubs. You can also run multiple Ethernet networks or mixture of Ethernet, Token Ring, and FDDI networks in any combination you want. This architecture is shown in Figure 1-5.

Any module you add to the concentrator can be assigned to any of three networks on its backplane and can be easily moved to another backplane network using either an on-board dip switch or remote network management.

Additionally, any module can be set to “isolated” mode whereby it acts as an isolated network - not connected to the concentrator backplane. This mode lets you isolate users from the main network. This can be useful for security or as a temporary situation to prevent traffic from contaminating the network (for example, if some users are conducting network tests or running at very high loads.)

Port-Switching Technology

Available port-switching modules allow you to assign any port to any backplane network using a network management command. This allows you to perform moves, adds, and changes at the network console, saving costly and time-consuming trips to the wiring closet. It also allows you to get additional bandwidth on demand by switching users to lower volume networks during peak traffic periods.

1 - 6 ONline 17-Slot System Concentrator Installation and Operation Guide