Ethernet
Permutations
It is also possible to use an Ethernet switch to connect a series of individual workgroups, rather than workstations or other devices. In these situations, the Ethernet switch acts as a device collapsed backbone for the network. The design process is exactly the same as that used to connect multiple workstations over an Ethernet switch, but the connections are made to workgroups rather than individual stations.
Design Example
Our example situation for the interconnection of workgroups through a standalone Ethernet switch involves a planned device collapsed backbone. This backbone will be implemented in a small vocational college which plans to interconnect its Ethernet classrooms and laboratories. The classrooms and labs are configured with Ethernet stackable hubs. There are four classrooms and two labs to be connected to the backbone, and there is expected to be growth in the number of Ethernet workgroups at the college in the future. The connections from the classrooms to the switch (which will be located in one of the labs) will have to be made through an aerial cable between buildings. Since conductive cable run between buildings is a lightning hazard, multimode fiber optics will be used to connect to each stack.
The Network Designer examines the available Ethernet switches for a product with sufficient management, port count, media, and interface characteristics. The only Ethernet switch in the selection field that provides native multimode fiber optic media support is the
Ethernet Workgroup Design |
