Network Configuration Examples; Design Concepts For Using The Switch - Cisco Catalyst 2950 Software Manual

Network Configuration Examples

Network Configuration Examples
This section provides network configuration concepts and includes examples of using the switch to
create dedicated network segments and interconnecting the segments through Fast Ethernet and Gigabit
Ethernet connections.

Design Concepts for Using the Switch

As your network users compete for network bandwidth, it takes longer to send and receive data. When
you configure your network, consider the bandwidth required by your network users and the relative
priority of the network applications they use.
Table 1-2
network to increase the bandwidth available to your network users.
Table 1-2 Increasing Network Performance
Network Demands
Too many users on a single network segment
and a growing number of users accessing the
Internet
• Increased power of new PCs,
workstations, and servers
• High demand from networked
applications (such as e-mail with large
attached files) and from
bandwidth-intensive applications (such
as multimedia)
Bandwidth alone is not the only consideration when designing your network. As your network traffic
profiles evolve, consider providing network services that can support applications such as voice and data
integration and security.
Table 1-3
Table 1-3 Providing Network Services
Network Demands
High demand for multimedia support
High demand for protecting mission-critical
applications
Catalyst 2950 Desktop Switch Software Configuration Guide
1-8
describes what can cause network performance to degrade and how you can configure your
Suggested Design Methods
Create smaller network segments so that fewer users share the
•
bandwidth, and use VLANs and IP subnets to place the network
resources in the same logical network as the users who access those
resources most.
• Use full-duplex operation between the switch and its connected
workstations.
• Connect global resources—such as servers and routers to which network
users require equal access—directly to the Fast Ethernet or Gigabit
Ethernet switch ports so that they have their own Fast Ethernet or Gigabit
Ethernet segment.
Use the Fast EtherChannel or Gigabit EtherChannel feature between the
•
switch and its connected servers and routers.
describes some network demands and how you can meet those demands.
Suggested Design Methods
Use IGMP and MVR to efficiently forward multicast traffic.
•
Use VLANs and protected ports to provide security and port isolation.
•
Use VLAN trunks, cross-stack UplinkFast, and BackboneFast for
•
traffic-load balancing on the uplink ports so that the uplink port with a
lower relative port cost is selected to carry the VLAN traffic.
Chapter 1 Overview
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