User manual LINKSYS DSSX24

[. . . ] Linksys makes no warranty or representation, expressed, implied, or statutory, with respect to its products or the contents or use of this documentation and all accompanying software, and specifically disclaims its quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. Linksys reserves the right to revise or update its products, software, or documentation without obligation to notify any individual or entity. Please direct all inquiries to: Linksys P. O. FCC STATEMENT This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. [. . . ] By using a switch, 10BaseT and 100BaseTX hardware can be made to communicate with each other so you don't need to discard your slower 10Mbps network hardware as you migrate to Fast Ethernet. As for performance, switching technology boosts any network's efficiency right away. A network without a switch is called a shared network, which means that the network's total bandwidth is equal to its speed divided by the number of users who are actively using the net. A switched network, by contrast, gives each user a full-speed pipeline that isn't shared by any other users, which causes an immediate speed and/or efficiency increase of up to 80%. 4 Here are some scenarios in which a switch can be applied: · Speeding up a 10BaseT Network On a 10BaseT network, you might connect users to one of the switch's 10/100 ports and the file server to the other, allowing the server to service more users faster because it enjoys its own switched pipeline into the network. · Mixing 10BaseT with 100BaseTX 10BaseT and 100BaseTX hardware not readily compatible with each other. With a switch you can create 10Mbps network segments for servicing users that don't need tremendous speed, and 100Mbps segments for users who depend on graphics, video, multimedia, database, or other speedy applications. · Adding 10Mbps Network Peripherals In addition, since 100BaseTX is a relatively new standard, there aren't as many network peripherals available for it as there are for 10BaseT. Most network modems, print servers, sniffers, and other network peripherals are made to operate at a speed of 10Mbps, making them incompatible with 100Mbps networks unless you have a switch. A switch can add 10Mbps hardware to your network wherever you want it. 5 Planning Your Network The rules that govern how switches are distributed in Fast Ethernet are slightly different from 10BaseT networking rules. Cabling specifications, distance limits, and other topology rules must be followed in order to avoid network collisions and data loss. Here are the most important rules to follow: · 100BaseTX requires four-pair, Category 5 UTP (EIA 568, Cat 5)cabling. · The maximum cable length from a node to a repeater, switch, or hub is 100 meters (328 feet). · The maximum length for a Category 5 100BaseTX cable between a workstation and a stackable or other shared bandwidth hub is 100 meters (328 feet). · A single or stacked 100Mbps hub is counted as one repeater in Fast Ethernet rules; a 10/100 switch or 10BaseT hub is not counted as a repeater. · You can install as many switches as you want on the same network, given you don't position the switches more than 100 meters (328 feet) apart. · The maximum distance between 2 100Mbps hubs without a switch connected in between is 5 meters (16. 4 feet). 6 The diagram below shows one possible configuration of a 12-Port Switch in a Fast Ethernet environment; if you have an 16 or 24-Port Switch, the configuration remains the same. Note that like all Fast Ethernet network hardware, the switch requires Category 5 UTP network cabling, which is available at most computer stores. In this example, each workstation has access to all of the resources on the network -- 10Mbps users can access the 100Mbps stations, and vice-versa. While allowing the 10Mbps and 100Mbps segments to communicate, the switch helps optimize traffic by adding switching to the network, which can improve performance by up to 80% (even on the slower 10Mbps segment). Notice that the servers are both connected directly to the switch. This improves server access times for all users. File Server Web Server DSSX12 10Mbps Segment 100Mbps Segment 7 Installing the Switch Package Contents Carefully remove the switch from its packaging. Make sure that you received all of the items listed below. [. . . ] A Category 5 cable has 8 thin, color-coded wires inside that run from one end of the cable to the other. Only wires 1, 2, 3, and 6 are used by Ethernet networks. In a straight-through cable, wires 1, 2, 3, and 6 at one end of the cable are also wires 1, 2, 3, and 6 at the other end. In a crossed cable, the order of the wires change from one end to the other: wire 1 be-comes 3, and 2 becomes 6 and vice versa. [. . . ]