Configuring Other Network Adapters

Shared Hubs

In a shared network environment, servers are connected to hubs. A
repeater is built into each port of the hub. All ports of the repeater
hub share a fixed amount of bandwidth, or data capacity. A 100
Mbps shared hub means that all nodes on the hub must share the
100 Mbps or bandwidth. As stations are added to the hub, the
effective bandwidth available to any individual station becomes
smaller.
All nodes must operate at the same speed, either 10 Mbps or 100
Mbps. Fast Ethernet repeaters provide 100 Mbps of available
bandwidth, ten times more than what is available with a 10 BASE-T
repeater.
Repeaters use a well-established, uncomplicated design, making
them highly cost-effective for connecting workstations in a
workgroup.

Switched Hubs

In a switched network environment, each port uses a fixed,
dedicated amount of bandwidth. Network bandwidth is not shared
among all stations. Each new station added to the hub receives
access to the full bandwidth of the network. Data is sent only to the
port that leads to the correct workstation.
If a new workstation is added to a 100 Mbps switching hub, the
new workstation receives its own dedicated, 100 Mbps link that
does not affect the 100 Mbps bandwidth of other workstations.
Switching hubs can effectively increase the overall bandwidth
available on the network, significantly improving performance.
Configuring Other Network Adapters
If your server came with a preinstalled network adapter, or if you
install this type of adapter, you must configure it as described in
your network-adapter documentation. For troubleshooting
information, see “Troubleshooting Other Network Adapters” on
page 256.
Chapter 3. Configuring Your Server 71