The Workgroup Approach
Initially, Network Designers wishing to make connections from stacks to backbone technologies would be forced to add an additional standalone device to the network at the workgroup area. The addition of a standalone switch, bridge, or router that supported the technology of the stack and the technology of the backbone would allow for the interconnection, or internetworking, of the stack and the backbone.
To assist Network Designers in creating a flexible and elegant solution to the problem of internetworking for stacks, and to reduce the number of separate devices that had to be shepherded at any facility, Cabletron Systems introduced Bridge/Router Interface Module (BRIM) technology to the stackable and standalone product line.
The BRIM is a specialized module that can be added to any
By incorporating the BRIM technology into a number of standalone and stackable devices, Cabletron Systems makes it easy to use stackable hubs and standalone switches as frontier devices for an enterprise network, or as a small workgroup solution at any location. The availability of Wide Area Network (WAN) technology BRIMs also makes the
Limitations of Stacks
While stackables are very well suited to a number of network implementations, they have their limitations. As stackables were developed to fill the gap between standalone devices and modular chassis, some networking capabilities are better handled by modular hubs.
Modular chassis allow for the mixing of multiple technologies in a single location much more readily than stackables. If a network implementation requires 43 Ethernet users, 11 Token Ring users, and four FDDI stations, a single modular chassis will support these requirements, while a series of stackable and standalone devices would have to be purchased, installed, and maintained to accommodate the same need.
Stackables |
