Asante Technologies FS4008E/FS4016E Switching Technology, Switch Supports Network Expansion

Introduction

Switching Technology

An Ethernet switch is a device that can direct network traffic among several Ethernet and Fast Ethernet networks. A switch increases network capacity and decreases network loading by making it possible for a LAN to be divided into multiple, unique dedicated segments.

Switch Supports Network Expansion

In Fast Ethernet networks, a switch allows chaining of hubs beyond the “two- repeater limit.” A switch can be used to separate the network into different collision domains, which allows expansion beyond the 205 meter diameter limit for 100BASE-TX networks.

Asanté Switches support traditional 10Mbps Ethernet and 100Mbps Fast Ethernet, and are ideal for bridging them without the need for a separate device.

Switch Acts as a Bridge Between Network Segments

A switch acts as a high-speed selective bridge between individual segments. Traffic that needs to go from one segment to another is automatically forwarded by a switch, without interfering with any other segments. This allows the total network capacity to be multiplied while decreasing network loading.

To ensure network reliability, a switch monitors each of its ports for signal quality. The switch automatically disconnects stations transmitting excessive noise, then reconnects them when the problem is resolved. A switch also automatically drops data packets that exceed the maximum allowable length. This prevents a device from blocking the network by transmitting continuous data streams or extra-long packets.

The Asanté switching engine supports automatic fragment free packet forwarding. Fragment free switch mode allows the switch to make the fastest possible switching decisions without forwarding runt packages on the network. The switch automatically drops (or filters) illegally short packets known as runts, which prevent bad packets from propagating across segments. Runts are usually the result of packet collisions on a congested network.

The Asanté switching engine also supports store and forward switching. It will automatically choose the safest and fastest method of switching if the source and destination are at the same speed .I f the speeds are different, such as for a 10Mbps workstation connected to a 100Mbps server, the switch will buffer and read the entire packet, perform a data validity check, then forward the packet at the new speed. With Asanté Intelligent Forwarding your FriendlyNet Switch will automatically pick the best and fastest switching method for you.

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