>Hi ALL,
>a fast Ether port on a cisco switch (2900XL)
>connected to a hub (3com repeater) 10/100 port
>reports auto-negotiated full-duplex, and works fine.
>How can a normal hub (no buffering!) accept full-duplex?
>To my undestanding this is impossible...
>Am I wrong?
The real problem here is that "hub" is a marketing, not a technical,
term. In most technical discussions, what we mean by an Ethernet hub
is a multiport repeater. If the 3Com device were defined as a
multiport repeater, what you say would be completely true.
Unfortunately, different vendors use "hub" in different ways. Cisco,
actually, has been cleaner than most. When Cisco puts a capability
into a "hub" that flatly is beyond the functionality of a multiport
repeater, they tend to identify that as a distinct function, and
often put that on a separate module. A good example of that is speed
switching.
Cabletron, as an example, tends to define "hub" as a shelf into which
repeater, bridge/LAN switch, and router modules can plug. I can't say
they strictly are wrong to do so, because there is no standard
definition of hub. Their definition is more a logical one that it is
a hubbing point for wiring, rather than phrased in terms of what
happens to the bits on the wire.
Interestingly, until Cabletron and Cisco got into a rather nasty and
public licensing fight several years ago, Cabletron was quite
possibly Cisco's largest customer for card-level IGS routers used in
their hubs, and carrying a Cabletron part number. Not sure if
Cabletron (or its successor companies) now makes its own router
cards, or, if not, from whome they OEM them.
My impression is that 3Com uses the term hub in a way fairly
consistent with Cabletron.
--
"What Problem are you trying to solve?"
***send Cisco questions to the list, so all can benefit -- not
directly to me***
Howard C. Berkowitz [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Technical Director, CertificationZone.com
Senior Mgr. IP Protocols & Algorithms, Advanced Technology Investments,
NortelNetworks (for ID only) but Cisco stockholder!
"retired" Certified Cisco Systems Instructor (CID) #93005
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