Switches & switch

I'm a networking rookie trying to get my head round some of the theory.

For an Ethernet network with approximately 150 workstations, is it possible
to use (100Mbps) switches connected to individual PCs in each network
segment and also use another (1000Mbps) switch for the backbone? All the
examples shown in the textbooks seem to be either hubs & switch or switches
& router, but never switches & switch. Is there some good reason for this?

Kev

"Kev" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ytOqd.1325$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm a networking rookie trying to get my head round some of the theory.
>
> For an Ethernet network with approximately 150 workstations, is it
possible
> to use (100Mbps) switches connected to individual PCs in each network
> segment and also use another (1000Mbps) switch for the backbone? All the
> examples shown in the textbooks seem to be either hubs & switch or
switches
> & router, but never switches & switch.

Yes, it is possible.

It might help you to realize that all "switches" are really
either Bridge-type switches, Router-type switches, or
some hybrid of the two types.

It is perhaps more common to have a backbone (central)
router-type switch with branch bridge type switches.

Reasons: Originally at least the router-type switches were
(much) more expensive but the bridge-type switches must
propagate broadcasts.

> Is there some good reason for this?

I don't understand the value of the 1000 Mbps in the
back unless you have such speed the branch connections.

More helpful might be a 100 Mbps switch with MORE
backplane capacity, e.g., 20 x 100 Mbps rather than 10 x
100 Mbps.

--
Herb Martin


> Kev
>
>