Accton Technology ES3002-TF manual Introduction, Switching Technology

Chapter 1: Introduction

Switching Technology

The Ethernet Switch allows simultaneous transmission of multiple packets via an internal high-speed data channel. This means that it can partition a network more efficiently than bridges or routers. The Ethernet Switch is therefore fast being recognized as one of the most important building blocks for today’s networking technology.

The learning function in the switch stores the address and corresponding port number of each incoming and outgoing packet in a routing table. This information is subsequently used to filter packets whose destination address is on the same segment as the source address. This confines network traffic to its respective domain, reducing the overall load on the network.

The switch scans the destination address from the packet header, searches the routing table provided for the incoming port and forwards the packet only if required, often before fully received. This fast forwarding makes the switch attractive for connecting servers directly to the network, thereby increasing throughput and availability. However, the switch is most commonly used to segment existing hubs, which nearly always improves overall performance. A switch can be easily configured in any Ethernet network to significantly boost bandwidth using conventional cabling and adapters.

Introduction 1-1