Switches

Switches

Switches are smarter
than hubs and offer
more bandwidth. A
switch forwards data
packets only to the
appropriate port for the
intended recipient, based on information in each packet’s
header. To insulate the transmission from the other ports,
the switch establishes a temporary connection between
the source and destination, then terminates the connection
when the conversation is done.
As such, a switch can support multiple “conversations”
and move much more traffic through the network than
a hub. A single eight-port Ethernet hub provides a total of
10 megabits per second (Mbps) of data-carrying capacity
shared among all users on the hub. A “full-duplex,” eight-port
Ethernet switch can support eight 10-Mbps conversations
at once, for a total data-carrying capacity of 160 Mbps.
“Full-duplex” refers to simultaneous two-way communications,
such as telephone communication.With half-duplex communications,
data can move across the cable or transmission
medium in just one direction at a time.
Examples of Cisco switch products:
Cisco 1548 Micro Switch 10/100
Cisco Catalyst® Series
For example...Switches are like a phone system with private
lines in place of the hub’s “party line.” Jane Tipton at the
Berkeley Hotel calls Bill Johnson in another room, and the
operator or phone switch connects the two of them on a
dedicated line. This allows more conversations at a time,
so more guests can communicate.