Not quite. The idea behind switches is to collapse collision domains. If
you have N machines on shared media (hubs) you have 1 collision
domain of size N. If you replace the hubs with switches, each collision
domain size two and you have N*(N-1) collision domains (i.e., every
combination of two machines constitutes a collision domain). The
original switches were all single speed (10Mbps). Adding multispeed
capability, and full duplex, came later. Both are possible, in part,
because switches buffer frames. Switches are much more complex, and have a
variety of other benefits. That's why they cost more ....
- rick warner
On Sat, 25 Nov 2000, Statux wrote:
> Interesting.. my pretty hub never gets any collisions tho ;)
>
> I thought the whole idea behind switches was to handle NICs that run at
> different speeds.
>
> On Fri, 24 Nov 2000, Rick Warner wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > Better pull out the Ethernet book. Hubs cannot do full duplex. If they
> > tried to transmit and receive simultaneously on the same port (full
> > duplex) a collision would occur and they would have to step
> > back. Switches can do full duplex, hubs are half duplex only. Always
> > have been, always will be.
> >
> > - rick warner
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