Asante Technologies 7000 - Manual (Page 11)

Switching Technology
Page 1-5
To ensure network reliability, a switch monitors each of its ports for signal
quality. The switch automatically disconnects stations transmitting excessive
noise, then reconnects them when the problem is resolved. A switch also
automatically drops data packets that exceed the maximum allowable length.
This prevents a device from blocking the network by transmitting continuous
data streams or extra-long packets.
The FriendlyNET 7000 Series Switch supports store-and-forward switching. If
the speeds are different, such as for a 10Mbps workstation connected to a
100Mbps server, the switch will buffer and read the entire packet, perform a
data validity check, then forward the packet at the new speed.
The FS7000 Series utilizes an advanced third generation switching engine. It
features high port count in a high integration package. For wire speed
performance, the 7108 features a 2.4Gbps bus, while the 7016 base unit has a
9.6Gbps cross-bar bus to support its higher port count configurations.
Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet Technology
As the volume of network traffic increases, the bandwidth offered by a typical
10Mbps Ethernet network quickly becomes inadequate to maintain acceptable
performance for a growing number of desktop/server computing environments.
Fast Ethernet, or 100Base-T, provides a smooth, non-disruptive evolution from
10Base-T technology.
The growing use of Fast Ethernet connections to servers and desktops is
creating a clear need for an even higher-speed network technology at the
backbone and server level. Gigabit Ethernet follows the same form, fit and
function as its 10Mbps and 100Mbps Ethernet precursors, allowing a
straightforward, incremental migration to higher-speed networking. This
evolutionary upgrade path allows Gigabit Ethernet to be seamlessly integrated
into existing Ethernet and Fast Ethernet networks.
All of today’s internetworking technologies are fully compatible with Gigabit
Ethernet, just as they are with Ethernet and Fast Ethernet. All three Ethernet
speeds use the same IEEE 802.3 frame format, full-duplex operation and flow
control methods. In half-duplex mode, Gigabit Ethernet employs the same
fundamental CSMA/CD access method to resolve contention for the shared
media. And, Gigabit Ethernet uses the same management objects defined by the
IEEE 802.3 group. Gigabit Ethernet is Ethernet, only faster.
Asanté FriendlyNET 7000 Series Switches support not only traditional
10Mbps Ethernet and 100Mbps Fast Ethernet, but also Gigabit Ethernet, and
are ideal for bridging them without the need for a separate device.