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Ethernet

• Ethernet is a media access method

• It allows a network to share bandwidth of a link

• Ethernet uses Carrier sense multiple access with

collision detection (CSMA/CD)

• Scalable (Ethernet, Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet)

Broadcast Domain & Collision Domain

• Broadcast Domain

A broadcast domain is a network segment in which a

network device can directly transmit to any other device
on the network

• Collision domain

A collision domain is a network segment where data

packets can "collide" with one another for being sent on
a shared medium

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Network connection devices

• Repeater

• Hub

• Bridge

• Switch

• Router

Repeaters

• Receives digital signals and re-amplifies or

regenerates the signal and forwards the signal

• Repeaters function at the Physical layer (Layer 1)

• It is not an intelligent Device

• It works with bits

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Hub

• Referred to as multi-port repeater

• Functions at the Physical layer (Layer 1)

• It is not an Intelligent Device

• It works with bits

• Uses broadcast for communication

• Bandwidth is shared

• It creates 1 Broadcast Domain and 1 Collision Domain

Switch

• Switches function at Data-link layer (Layer 2)

• It is an Intelligent device

• It maintains MAC address table (hardware address)

• Each port of the switch has fixed bandwidth

• It works with Flooding and Unicast

• It has 1 Broadcast domain and Number of Collision

domains depends upon the number of ports

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Difference between Bridge and Switch

Bridge Switch

• Bridges are software • Switches are hardware

based based

• Bridges have lesser • Switches have higher

no. of ports no. of ports

• Generally used for • Generally used for

connecting two connecting single
different topology topology (Segment)
(Segment)

Router

• It is a Network layer device (Layer 3)

• It is an Intelligent device

• It works with Logical Addressing (i.e. IP,IPX,AppleTalk)

• It works with Fixed bandwidth

• Number of Broadcast domains depends upon the

number of ports and Number of Collision domains

depends upon the number of ports.

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Functions of a Switch

• Address Learning

• Forwarding

• Loop Avoidance

How many Broadcast &

Collision Domains

Router

E0 E1

Hub Switch

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Broadcast Domains

Router

E0 E1

Switch
Hub

Collision Domains

Router

E0 E1

Hub Switch

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Types of Switches

• Manageable switches

On a Manageable switch an IP address can be assigned

and configurations can be made. It has a console port .

• Unmanageable switches

On an Unmanageable switch configurations cannot be

made, an IP address cannot be assigned as there is no

console port.

Cisco’s Hierarchical Design for switches

Cisco divided the Switches into 3 Layers

• Access Layer Switches

Switches Series : 1900, 2950, 2960

• Distribution Layer Switches

Switches Series :
• Fixed : 3550, 3560, 3750
• Modular: 4500, 5500
• Core Layer Switches
Switches Series : 4500, 6500

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Virtual LAN

• Vlan provide Layer 2 Security

• Divides a Single Broadcast domain into Multiple

Broadcast domains.

• By default all ports of the switch are in VLAN1 . This

VLAN1 is known as Administrative VLAN or
Management VLAN

• VLAN can be created from 2 – 1001

• Can be Configured on a Manageable switch only

• 2 Types of VLAN Configuration

– Static VLAN

– Dynamic VLAN

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Static VLAN

• Static VLAN’s are based on port numbers

• Need to manually assign a port on a switch to a

VLAN

• Also called Port-Based VLANs

• It can be a member of single VLAN and not

multiple VLAN’s

Dynamic VLAN

• Dynamic VLAN’s are based on the MAC address

of a PC

• Switch automatically assigns the port to a VLAN

• Each port can be a member of multiple VLAN’s

• For Dynamic VLAN configuration, a software

called VMPS( VLAN Membership Policy Server) is

needed