Network Switch

Nick Harvey · Thu 31 Jul, 2008 17.38

There you are, you see.

I knew you wouldn't need anything straight!

cwathen · Thu 31 Jul, 2008 18.43

That's not strictly true, that's the difference between a network switch and a hub - the network switch being the intelligent device that can learn what is on which port and the hub being a dummy device which just sprays packets out to all available ports.

I stand corrected! It has been many years since I lasted studied this stuff

Sput · Thu 31 Jul, 2008 18.54

Back then, switches were mechanical and made of brass. Actually that's how I like to picture Nick's massive computer.

jjames · Thu 31 Jul, 2008 21.17

Incidentally I noticed some confused messages about crossover cables and IP addressing there.

To be straight about this -- if the cable is the problem there will be no physical connection -- ie no light on the switch. If the light comes on on the switch, there is most likely not a physical problem.

To verify a crossover cable look at the two ends -- a straight-through has a one-to-one pin relationship, the crossover has two pairs interchanged. (A rollover cable is used to connect to a switch via the serial port, but I doubt you'll have that on a consumer switch!).

Sput · Thu 31 Jul, 2008 21.24

jjames wrote:To be straight about this -- if the cable is the problem there will be no physical connection -- ie no light on the switch. If the light comes on on the switch, there is most likely not a physical problem.

Don't be so sure, I've seen a couple of badly-crimped cables (yes, ok, it was my bad crimping) that only lack one or two contacts and so do register an electrical connection but no data can be transferred.

Good place to find this: your office.
Bad place to find this: 50m above the rainforest.

jjames · Thu 31 Jul, 2008 21.47

Yes, fair comment, but who makes their own cables these days?

That is why I said "probably".

Sput · Thu 31 Jul, 2008 21.48

Gah, FUCK YOU

Nini · Thu 31 Jul, 2008 21.52

I make my own cables, crimping and all. Never know when you might need to pull a 20ft length or indeed a tiny 5cm dooly.

And don't be giving me any of your wireless excuses, sometimes you just need to use gigabit through CAT-5.

jjames · Thu 31 Jul, 2008 21.55

Sput wrote:Gah, FUCK YOU

I don't doubt that self-cabling has its uses but I for one wouldn't do it in a production environment. Not for flyleads anyway, which is what we're talking about here.

And I quite agree, wireless is evil

(jjames, MSc CNT (Distinction), CCNA, CCNP, CWNA by the way lol).