4th July 2008

Switch, Network Switch

A switch (switching hub) in the context of networking refers to a device which filters and forwards data packets across a network.

Unlike a standard hub which simply replicates what it receives on one port onto all the other ports, a switching hub keeps a record of the MAC addresses of the devices attached to it.

When the switch receives a data packet, it forwards the packet directly to the recipient device by looking up the MAC address.

A network switch can utilise the full throughput potential of a networks connection for each device making it a natural choice over a standard hub.

In other words, say for instance you had a network of 5 PCs and a server all connected with 10Mbps UTP cable, with a hub the throughput (10Mbps) would be shared between each device, with a switch each device could utilise the full 10Mbps connection.

When using a switch instead of a hub it is common place to create a faster throughput connection between the switch and the server (backbone).

For example if you had 10 PCs connected to the switch with 10Mbps cable then it would improve performance to use a 100Mbps connection from the switch to the server.

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