Upgrading to Ethernet Switches:
Is it worth the investment?

Networks have changed over years. First there was the “sneaker net” where we transferred files from machine to machine on floppy disk (remember those), then came the first local area networks or LAN’s. These included PC-NFS, Lantastic, Banyan Vines, Novell Netware and Windows for Workgroups to name a just a few. Those networks ran on coax as big around as your thumb at first at 10 M/Bit, using things like “vampire connectors” and AUI cables, then on smaller coax (about the size cable or satellite TV uses running Ethernet or Arcnet, or strange cables and MAU (pronounced mouw) for Token-Ring and other. There were still lesser known and now ultimately obsolete protocols and transports, too. Twisted pair at 10 M/Bit gave way to 100 M/bit, then Gigabit, and fiber was something used for networking, not dietary purposes. All of these methods of connectivity used something that could be called a hub. As technology has moved forward, have you upgraded those hubs? If not, you may have missed a great opportunity to accelerate your network and enterprise WAN without increasing your broadband or T1 pipeline.

First there were Hubs
First there were hubs. These devices allowed for a spider of star configuration of the network, with a run from a central location to the workstation. This eliminated the need to daisy-chain network cables in a serial bus fashion through your building and also fixed the problem of on connection dies and so does the network. This worked well. As we moved faster and faster with network traffic and Ethernet became the de facto standard for networking, the CSMA/CD or Carrier Sense Multiple Access / Collision Detection algorithm allowed all of us to communicate in a more efficient way than the old sneaker net. With speed, time and maturity, our PC’s have gotten faster, data larger and the traffic it generates has outstripped the way hubs work. Simply the “dumb” routing of data and waiting for the network to be quiet is not a good solution anymore.

Enter Switches
Switches brought with them the “intelligence factor.” Onboard, switches had the ability to learn what devices were connected to their ports. Rather than broadcasting every message to every port, the switch had the capability to pass the data it received only to the port that had the device. By doing this internally within the switch, the aggregate traffic on the network was minimized. The problem was that when they were introduced, switches were 4 to 8 times the price of the “dumb” hub. As the price point changed, moving to switches finally made sense. For an investment of a few hundred dollars per device, you could reduce the broadcast traffic on your network by 30 percent or more. Reduced traffic showed up as better performance for the users, and the throngs within your office thanked you for the productivity increase, right? Nope, they just used that newfound speed and filled the pipe again!

Smart Switches
Smart switches are the latest entry into the evolving infrastructure upgrade path. These devices make the old switches look dumb by comparison (sorry about that!). Smart switches have built-in intelligence that watch for flooding, know the way to the internet and can create their own high-speed backbones for servers and fiber links options to connect communications between buildings at a faster rate than copper and with less interference than using a microwave link. They bring so much to the table you can monitor traffic, do packet sniffing and more. The addition of these devices can gain you much-needed speed on your enterprise

What about the old hardware
So, you have old hubs and switches. They still work, should you chuck them? No! If you have an enterprise connected with satellite offices, they most likely use communication links that are less than 10 M/bit and probably have only a few people. Those old switches can find new life in those locations. And if you have telecommuters that need to connect a printer, computer, etc. to their cable modem at home, those old hubs will work great there too. As long as they work, you might as well use them!

How can I get more information on this subject?
Take a look at the current vendor of your network hardware and see what they have to offer, or contact us. We will be glad to assist you! If you have questions or comments about this article or if there is anything new on the subject, contact me. I would be happy to respond!
 

All product names / logos, company names / logos are copyrights of their respective holders. John Boline is an MCSE, CNE, USE and a member of the Network Professional Association. The content herein is often based on late-breaking events. Much of the material is based on information from sources that are believed to be reliable. Hagerman & Company, Inc. disclaims all warranties as to the ultimate accuracy or completeness of the information. Hagerman & Company, Inc. and its employees shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information contained within this article or for any interpretations thereof. The recommendations, positions and best practice policies outlined herein represent Hagerman & Company, Inc. initial analysis and therefore are subject to change as further information which may have bearing on these positions is made available. The reader assumes sole responsibility for the selection of these materials to achieve its intended results. The opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. Entire contents © 2007 Hagerman & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this publication in any form without prior written permission is forbidden.