User manual LINKSYS EG0801W

[. . . ] Instant Gigabit Series EtherFast® 10/100/1000 8+1 Workgroup GigaSwitch Use this guide to install : EG0801W User Guide COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARKS Copyright © 2001 Linksys, All Rights Reserved. EtherFast is a registered trademark of Linksys. Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks and brand names are the property of their respective proprietors. [. . . ] A hub simply works with one computer at a time and only sends or receives data, since it cannot handle two way communication. In addition to full-duplex transfer, your Switch surges your network with dedicated bandwidth to each node. For instance, if you connect five computers to your EtherFast 10/100/1000 8+1 Workgroup GigaSwitch, then each computer will get a dedicated bandwidth of 100Mbps at full duplex transfer. If you run 5 computers from a 100Mbps hub, then each computer will only share a part of the 100Mbps bandwidth. A network without a switch is called a shared network because every node on the network competes for a fraction of the total bandwidth. In a shared network, data packets are randomly broadcasted to all stations until they discover their intended destination. Consequently, considerable time and bandwidth is wasted on data packets swimming along network lines before they find their correct address. A switch, on the other hand, looks at the address for each data packet and delivers it directly to the correct destination. Gigabit Ethernet is ideal for deployment as a backbone interconnect between 10/100BASE-T switches, and as a connection to high-performance servers. The Switch will have dedicated communication with all its connections simultaneously, whereas a hub will only communicate in half-duplex transfer mode and broadcasts information to all ports. · Conserving Bandwidth with 10Mbps & 100Mbps Segments 10BaseT and 100BaseTX hardware are not readily compatible, but your 10/100 Switch can designate network segments of different speeds. This allows you to run one 10Mbps segment to serve users without a need for considerable speed, and a faster 100Mbps segment devoted to users who depend heavily on graphics, multimedia, database, or other speed-intensive applications. With switched segmentation, your 100Mbps users will not be slowed down by the users on the 10Mbps segment. · Run 10Mbps Peripherals in Your Fast Ethernet Network Most of the network peripherals in place today run at 10Mbps, since 10BaseT has been the standard network speed to date. These peripherals, designed to operate at 10Mbps, cannot readily communicate with 100BaseTX equipment. A 10Mbps interface is also required for cable and DSL connections, which are quickly becoming very popular ways to access the Internet. Your 10/100 Switch provides your 10BaseT equipment and cable and DSL lines with a 10Mbps interface while still running your Fast Ethernet devices at 100Mbps. · Strengthen Data Transfers Through Signal Regeneration Your Switch functions as a repeater, which regenerates data signals as they pass through it. This feature acts as a safeguard to deter data loss and ensure that transmissions arrive at their destination intact. Switches positioned between hubs can preserve your data's integrity and eliminate your need to buy and use repeaters in your Fast Ethernet network. 8 9 Instant Gigabit Series EtherFast® 10/100/1000 8+1 Workgroup GigaSwitch Glossary 10BaseT - An Ethernet standard that uses twisted wire pairs. 100BaseTX - IEEE physical layer specification for 100 Mbps over two pairs of Category 5 UTP or STP wire. 1000BASE-T - provides half-duplex (CSMA/CD) and full-duplex 1000Mbps Ethernet service over Category 5 links as defined by ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A. [. . . ] LAN - A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line and typically share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building). Latency - The time delay between when the first bit of a packet is received and the last bit is forwarded. MAC Address - The MAC (Media Access Control) address is your computer's unique hardware number. 12 Mbps (MegaBits Per Second) - One million bits per second; unit of measurement for data transmission. Network - A system that transmits any combination of voice, video and/or data between users. [. . . ]