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This question has been classified as abandoned and is being closed as part of the Cleanup Program. &nbsp;See my comment at the end of the question for more details.
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This question has been classified as abandoned and is being closed as part of the Cleanup Program.  See my comment at the end of the question for more details.

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What are the important criteria to look for when buying a network switch? I've heard about the backplane bandwidth, switching fabric, forwarding capacity. &nbsp;What are they actually? Please provide a detailed explanation and if possible, with examples. &nbsp;I have searched thru the web for these terms so I do not expect the answers to be just copied from somewhere else. &nbsp;Self-made own comments are appreciated. &nbsp;Thanks.
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What are the important criteria to look for when buying a network switch? I've heard about the backplane bandwidth, switching fabric, forwarding capacity.  What are they actually? Please provide a detailed explanation and if possible, with examples.  I have searched thru the web for these terms so I do not expect the answers to be just copied from somewhere else.  Self-made own comments are appreciated.  Thanks.

Backplane bandwidth? Switching fabric capacity?

A switch is a device that filters and forwards packets of data between LAN segments. Switches operate at the data link layer or the network layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model and therefore support any packet protocol. LANs that use switches to join segments are called switched LANs or, in the case of Ethernet networks, switched Ethernet LANs. A hub is a connection point for devices in a network. Hubs are commonly used to connect segments of a LAN. A hub contains multiple ports; when a packet arrives at one port, it is copied to the other ports so that all segments of the LAN can see all packets.

Switches / Hubs

Network design and methodology, also known as network architecture, is the design of a communication network. It is a framework for the specification of a network's physical components and their functional organization and configuration, its operational principles and procedures, as well as data formats used in its operation. In telecommunication, the specification of a network architecture may also include a detailed description of products and services delivered via a communications network, as well as detailed rate and billing structures under which services are compensated.