Quick Reference Guide to 100-Mbps Multi-Segment Configuration
FIGURE 14.3 One possible maximum 100-Mbps configuration
In other words, the inter-repeater segment (B) in Figure 14.3 could be 10 meters in length, as long as other segment lengths are adjusted to keep the maximum collision diameter to 205 meters. You should be wary of exploiting this, however, since designing a network that relies on shorter than standard links could cause confusion and problems later on. For example, if a new segment of 100 meters is attached to the system at some later time, the maximum diameter between some DTEs could then become 210 meters. If the path delay on this long path exceeds 512 bit times, then the network may experience problems such as late collisions and CRC errors.
Note that the switching hub is just another station (DTE) as far as the guidelines for the collision domain go. The switching hub provides a way to link separate network technologies, in this case a standard 100BASE-T segment and a full-duplex Ethernet link. The switching hub is shown linked to a campus router with a full-duplex fiber link that spans up to two kilometers. This makes it possible to provide a 100-Mbps Ethernet connection to the rest of a campus network using a router port located in a central section of the campus network.
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