Magnum 4K8 Switches Installation and User Guide (10/04)
2.4Applications
Magnum 4K8 Switches offer high performance and flexibility, and are easily used in a variety of applications including client/server computing, performance upgrades of departmental networks, and collapsed backbone applications. The Dual- Speed characteristic of the 4K8 Switches enables them to inter-connect a series of subnets (one subnet per 4K-Series Switch) in a LAN traffic center. The subnet connections may be via either optional fiber or twisted pair cabling, and may be 100Mbps or 10 Mbps speed and full-or half-duplex mode.
The mixed-media capability is ideal for upgrading existing Ethernet LAN networks, where existing cabling must be accommodated. The fiber-built-in media capability is ideal for integrating future-proof fiber cabling into the LAN structure.
Example1: In general application, a Switch is needed to provide a Fast Ethernet backbone. The backbone consists of four high-speed LAN segments, each operating over 100MB full-duplex fiber lines. In addition to interconnecting the fiber backbone segments in the network center, the Switch needs to provide high-speed switched support for two central servers, for a 100MB connection to a router, and for a dual-speed hub serving a local workgroup of over a dozen users, printers, etc.
The Magnum 4K8 equipped with one optional Fiber port and eight RJ-45 ports provides an economical solution, configured with 8 switched ports ( 10/100 RJ-45) in a rack-mount box. No Media Converters are needed. The Fiber FPM can be selected to provide any 100Mbps fiber media connector type desired. FPMs with multi-mode or single-mode fiber types are available.
This requirement for connecting local devices over twisted pair cabling is handled by the Magnum 4K8 with one optional Fiber-Port Module. The FPM provides a switched port for distance with high bandwidth throughput to the connected network away from the present network.
Since 100Mb fiber Ethernet has severe distance limitations at half-duplex, it is necessary in high speed backbones to operate fiber links in the full-duplex mode. Many low-end switches that only have RJ-45 N-way 10/100Mb ports would need to have a media converter on each fiber line. But most media converters do not support auto- negotiation and would not enable the fiber backbone lines to operate full-duplex. But the
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