D-Link DSS-5 User Manual

DSS-5+

5-port 10/100Mbps Switch

User’s Guide

Rev. 03 (MAR. 2001)

6012-9830016

Printed In Taiwan

RECYCLABLE

ABLE OF CONTENTS

T

TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................... I

ABOUT THIS GUIDE .................................... III

PURPOSE...............................................................

ERMS/USAGE

T

VERVIEW OF THIS USER’S GUIDE

O

.......................................................

............................

III

III

III

INTRODUCTION .............................................. 1

AST ETHERNET TECHNOLOGY

F

WITCHING TECHNOLOGY

S

FEATURES

.............................................................. 3

.................................. 1

......................................... 2

UNPACKING AND SETUP.............................. 5

NPACKING

U

SETUP

........................................................... 5

................................................................... 5

IDENTIFYING EXTERNAL COMPONENTS

.............................................................................. 6

FRONT PANEL

EAR PANEL

R

......................................................... 6

.......................................................... 6

LED INDICATORS

.................................................... 7

CONNECTING THE SWITCH........................ 8

PC TO SWITCH

HUB TO SWITCH

SWITCH TO SWITCH (OTHER DEVICES)

........................................................ 8

...................................................... 8

......................... 8

i

ORT SPEED

P

UPLEX MODE

& D

.................................. 9

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS................. 10

ii

BOUT THIS GUIDE

A

Congratulations on your purchase of the 5-Port 10/100M
Switch. This device integrates 100Mbps Fast Ethernet and
10Mbps Ethernet network capabilities in a highly flexible
desktop package.

Purpose

This manual discusses how to install your 5-Port 10/100M
Switch.

Terms/Usage

In this guide, the term “Switch” (first letter upper case)
refers to your 5-Port 10/100M Switch, and ”switch” (first
letter lower case) refers to other Ethernet switches.

Overview of this User’s Guide

Introduction. Describes the Switch and its features.

Unpacking and Setup. Helps you get started with the basic installation of
the Switch.

Identifying External Components. Describes the front panel, rear panel and
LED indicators of the Switch.

Connecting the Switch. Tells how you can connect the Switch to your
Ethernet network.

Appendix A, Technical Specifications. Lists the technical (general, physical
and environmental, and performance) specifications of the Switch.

iii

NTRODUCTION

I

This chapter describes the features of the Switch and some
background information about Ethernet/Fast Ethernet
switching technology.

Fast Ethernet Technology

The growing importance of LANs and the increasing
complexity of desktop computing applications are fueling the
need for high performance networks. A number of high­speed LAN technologies have been proposed to provide
greater bandwidth and improve client/server response times.
Among them, 100BASE-T (Fast Ethernet) provides a non­disruptive, smooth evolution from the current 10BASE-T
technology. The non-disruptive and smooth evolution
nature, and the dominating potential market base, virtually
guarantee cost effective and high performance Fast Ethernet
solutions in the years to come.

100Mbps Fast Ethernet is a new standard specified by the
IEEE 802.3 LAN committee. It is an extension of the
10Mbps Ethernet standard with the ability to transmit and
receive data at 100Mbps, while maintaining the CSMA/CD
Ethernet protocol. Since the 100Mbps Fast Ethernet is
compatible with all other 10Mbps Ethernet environments, it
provides a straightforward upgrade path and takes
advantage of the existing investment in hardware, software,
and personnel training.

1

Switching Technology

Another approach to pushing beyond the limits of Ethernet
technology is the development of switching technology. A
switch bridges Ethernet packets at the MAC address level of
the Ethernet protocol. It transmits packets among connected
Ethernet or Fast Ethernet LAN segments.

Switching is a cost-effective way of increasing the total
network bandwidth available to users on a local area
network. A switch divides a local area network into
multiple, separate segments. Each segment has it’s own full
Ethernet or Fast Ethernet bandwidth that doesn’t compete
with the other segments for network transmission.

The switch acts as a high-speed selective bridge between the
individual segments. The switch, without interfering with
any other segments, automatically forwards traffic that
needs to go from one segment to another and blocks traffic
that does not need to be transmitted. By doing this the total
network bandwidth is multiplied, while still maintaining the
same network cabling and adapter cards.

For Fast Ethernet networks, a switch is an effective way of
eliminating the problem of chaining hubs beyond the “two­repeater limit.” A switch can be used to split parts of the
network into different collision domains, making it possible
to expand a Fast Ethernet network beyond the 205-meter
network diameter limit. Switches supporting both
traditional 10Mbps Ethernet and 100Mbps Fast Ethernet
are ideal for bridging between existing 10Mbps networks and
new 100Mbps networks.

2

Switching LAN technology is a marked improvement over
the previous generation of network bridges, which were
characterized by higher latencies. Today switches are an
ideal solution to most kinds of local area network congestion
problems.

Features

The DSS-5+ was designed for easy installation and high
performance in an environment where network traffic and
the number of users increases continuously.

Designed with the small and medium network in mind, the
DSS-5+ comes in a small and compact size. Whether used to
connect 10Mb and 100Mb network segments and servers
together, or to extend an existing switched network, it has
the necessary speed to do the job.

The DSS-5+ is expandable by cascading two or more
switches together. All ports support up to 200Mbps. Any
one of its five ports may be used to cascade to an additional
switch to open a Full-Duplex Fast Ethernet pipe. The DSS­5+ is a perfect choice for sites planning to upgrade to Fast
Ethernet in the future. Ethernet workgroups can connect to
the DSS-5+ now, and upgraded Fast Ethernet adapters and
hubs can be added anytime later without requiring any
change to the Switch or network configuration.

The Switch combine dynamic memory allocation with store­and-forward switching to ensure that the buffer is effectively
allocated for each port, while controlling the data flow
between the transmit and receive nodes to guarantee against
all possible packet loss.

3