User manual LINKSYS EF3124

[. . . ] Instant EtherFast® Series EtherFast® 16-port and 24-port 10/100 Ethernet Switches Use this guide to install: EF3116, EF3124, EF4116, and EF4124 User Guide COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARKS Copyright © 2003 Linksys, All rights reserved. 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. LIMITED WARRANTY Linksys guarantees that every Instant EtherFast® EtherFast® 16-Port and 24-Port 10/100 Ethernet Switch is free from physical defects in material and workmanship for two years, when used within the limits set forth in the Specifications section of this User Guide. [. . . ] Also known as 100BaseTX, Fast Ethernet supports high speed signaling and gives users an efficient and affordable solution for upgrading their present network to the upcoming standard speed of 100Mbps. 100BaseTX data packet lengths and formats are transmitted over two pairs of UTP Category 5 cabling, just like the 10BaseT system. It also uses identical data error control and management information as 10BaseT transmission. Figure 2-2 Changing connectors must be done professionally with the proper tools. If this is your first time working with fiber, consult a networking professional who is familiar with fiber. Reading a Fiber Module's LED Display A Fiber Module's LED Display has two LEDs: the Link/Activity (Link/Act) LED and the Full Duplex/Half Duplex (FDX) LED. See the chart below to find out what the status of each LED denotes. Because Fast Ethernet is based on similar technology as standard Ethernet, the issue of migrating from 10Mbps to the higher Fast Ethernet speed of 100Mbps requires virtually no effort with the right piece of equipment. All it takes is an Ethernet Switch to coordinate your network hardware, and you're ready to run a top-notch system. Switches versus Hubs An Ethernet Switch boosts your network performance several times over, conserving your time, money and resources. The scalability of an Ethernet Switch, its full duplex data transfer and dedicated bandwidth, all contribute to maximizing efficiency in your Fast Ethernet network. Front Panel LED Displays LEDs Network Status LEDs Color Status Connection Established Transmitting/Receiving Full duplex transfer mode Half duplex transfer mode Link/Act Green Solid light Blinkinglight FDX Yellow Solid light No light 10 11 Instant EtherFast® Series EtherFast® 16-Port and 24-Port 10/100 Ethernet Switches An Ethernet Switch's autosensing feature gives you a key advantage over other forms of networking by upgrading speed-critical network segments to 100Mbps while allowing existing 10BaseT subnetworks to operate within it. Running 10BaseT and 100BaseTX hardware speeds alongside each other in an Ethernet Switch eliminates the need to purchase new hardware, rewire, and reconfigure an entire site all at once. This scalability factor ensures that Fast Ethernet will not fall obsolete to upgrades in speed standards and maintains use of all your old equipment until you decide to buy speedier replacements. Otherwise, throwing away all your older, slower equipment in an old-fashioned "forklift upgrade" is the only other alternative. Now networks can custom-run fast and slow segments at the same time for different users or departments. Publishing, R&D, video, and accounting departments can enjoy a blazing 100Mbps transfer, while other corporate segments conserve bandwidth by operating at more economical 10Mbps speeds. Switches also feature full duplex data transfer, meaning that all computers on the switch can "talk" to the switch at the same time. Plus, switches are able to send and receive data simultaneously to all connections, whereas a hub cannot. 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, an Ethernet Switch surges your network with dedicated bandwidth to each node, devoting 100Mbps to every device and multiplying your bandwidth for each added node. For instance, if you connect five computers, capable of running at 100 Mbps, to an Ethernet Switch, then each computer will get a dedicated bandwidth of 200Mbps in full duplex transfer mode. If you run the same computers from a 100Mbps hub, then each computer would only share a part of the bandwidth, depending on how many other computers are running on the network, and how data-intensive the workload. 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 traveling along network lines before they find their correct address. [. . . ] Print Server - A hardware device that enables a printer to be located anywhere in the network. RJ-45 (Registered Jack-45) - A connector similar to a telephone connector that holds up to eight wires, used for connecting Ethernet devices. 14 15 Instant EtherFast® Series EtherFast® 16-Port and 24-Port 10/100 Ethernet Switches Router - Protocol-dependent device that connects subnetworks together. Routers are useful in breaking down a very large network into smaller subnetworks; they introduce longer delays and typically have much lower throughput rates than bridges. Server - Any computer whose function in a network is to provide user access to files, printing, communications, and other services. [. . . ]