Improving LAN

Performance
The performance of a network can be
improved in a shared media LAN such
as Ethernet by using one or more of
the following solutions:
Segmenting the network using Bridges,
Routers, or LAN Switches
Move to full duplex transmitting
Upgrade to the Fast Ethernet Standard

Why Segment LANs?

A Cisco Segment
A network can be divided in smaller units
called segments. Each segment uses the
(CSMA/CD) protocol and maintains traffic
between users on the segment. By using
segments in a network less users/devices
are sharing the same 10Mbps when
communicating to one another within the
segment. Each segment is considered its
own collision domain.

Why Segment LANs?

In a segmented Ethernet LAN data
passed between segments is transmitted
on the backbone of the network using a
bridge, switch, or router.
The backbone network is its own collision
domain and uses CSMA/CD to provide a
best effort delivery service between
segments.

Segmentation with Bridges

Bridges are different than routers
because they are Layer 2 devices,
independent of Layer 3 protocols they
pass on data frames regardless of which
Layer 3 protocol is being used and are
transparent to the other devices on the
network.
Bridges increase the latency (delay)in a
network by 10-30%.
Why?

 A bridge is considered a store and forward

device because it must examine the destination
address (MAC) field in the frame and determine
which interface to forward the frame.
If there is no match in the table, the frame
is flooded out all other interfaces
Bridges "learn a networks" segmentation by
building address tables that contain the (MAC)
address of each network device and which
segment to use to reach that device.
Smaller collision domains are created, not
broadcast domains.

Segmentation with LAN

Switches
A switch segments a LAN into
microsegments creating collision free
domains from one larger collision
domain, not broadcast domains.
With switched ethernet
implementation the available
bandwidth can reach closer to 100%.

Using Full Duplex

Half Duplex
Full Duplex
HUB

Node must
Be directly attached to a dedicated
switched port
Have installed network interface card that
supports
full duplex

Full-Duplex Ethernet
Design

Standard Ethernet normally can only use

50-60% of the 10Mbps available
bandwidth.
This is due to collisions and latency.
Full duplex Ethernet offers 100% of
the bandwidth in both directions.
This produces a potential 20Mbps
throughput 10Mbps TX and 10Mbps RX.

 This virtual network circuit exists

only when two nodes need to
communicate.
This is why it is called a virtual circuit
it exists only when needed and is
established within the switch.
Allows multiple users to communicate
in parallel via these virtual circuits.

Source MAC
address is used
to build this
table

How a LAN Switch Learns

Addresses
This means that as new addresses are
read they are learned and stored in
Content Address Memory (CAM).
Each time an address is stored it is
time stamped.
This allows addresses to be stored
for a set period of time.

But more domains

Segmentation with Routers

Routers operate at the network layer
and base all of their forwarding
decisions between segments on the
Layer 3 protocol address.
Because routers perform more
functions than bridges they operate
with a higher rate of latency. (Higher
than other internetworking devices.)

Routers:
Segment broadcast domains
Forward packets based on destination
network layer addresses
Segment collision domains

More collision domains,

but more bandwidth
for each user