Fast Ethernet
Stations (14)
Facility Hub
2094n23
Figure 7-3. Fast Ethernet High-End Department Solution
Fast Ethernet as a Backbone
Due to the high throughput provided by Fast Ethernet, it is conceivable that the technology could be used as a backbone solution to interconnect a series of workgroups. The Fast Ethernet switch will act as a device collapsed backbone for the network. The design process is exactly the same as that depicted above, in which connections were designed between multiple workstations over a Fast Ethernet switch, but the connections in the backbone solution are made to workgroups rather than individual stations.
NOTE |
Due to the short maximum distances of Fast Ethernet segments, Fast Ethernet is sometimes unsuitable for interconnecting workgroups in a
Design Example
As an example of the methods used to design a switched Fast Ethernet backbone network, let us examine the design process of a Network Designer at a small magazine publishing house who intended to replace the existing Ethernet backbone (shared thick coaxial cable) in the facility depicted in Figure
Fast Ethernet Workgroup Design |
