On 2002-01-23 2:36 PM, "Steven Fisher" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> on 1/23/02 1:22 PM, Eric Hildum at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > >> This really depends on if the switch also has routing functions. Your >> comment about configuration implies you are thinking of a router, not a pure >> switch. > > Yes, you're right. Probably because I've never actually seen a "pure" > switch. > > However, the Airport is a NAT switch/router/etc. (Someone jump in if I'm > wrong, my network plans depend on this... :) Steven, You're asking about pretty down-and-in terminology distinctions, which might be important when you configure your own network. I think it's good to think of a switch as a hub that does some very rudimentary filtering. Typically, a "normal" hub will echo all Ethernet packets it receives to all its ports. A switch, on the other hand, will only send an Ethernet packet to a port if the destination node resides on the segment connected to that port. The primary reason for using a switch, IMO, is to speed things up by keeping much unnecessary traffic off each network segment. For a decent tutorial, try here: <http://burks.brighton.ac.uk/burks/pcinfo/hardware/ethernet/switch.htm>. A router also can filter network traffic, but it does so at the protocol level (e.g., by IP address). As such, a router is much more sophisticated than a switch. Network Address Translation is implemented by routers. The Airport Base Station includes routing functions such as NAT. It's really a router, not a switch. Hope This Helps! -- Jim -- To unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> archives: <http://www.mail-archive.com/entourage-talk%40lists.letterrip.com/> old-archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/entourage-talk%40lists.boingo.com/>
