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Using Ethernet switches to build LANs

Lindi Horton EXPERT RESPONSE FROM: Lindi Horton

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QUESTION POSED ON: 25 November 2006
Using an Ethernet switch to build up a LAN, do we need an Ethernet MAC?


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To use Ethernet switches to build a LAN, it will use Ethernet Media Access Control (MAC) addresses to determine what network interfaces are connected to the switch. There are a lot of considerations to building a LAN with Ethernet switches. The primary consideration is whether to build a LAN with managed switches that will also prevent Spanning Tree Loops. In fact, there is an excellent article on SearchNetworking.com that provides the essential decision points for creating the right type of LAN Ethernet design.




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