Chapter . LAN Switching
Fast Computers Need Faster Networks
The personal computer (PC) emerged as the most common desktop computer in the 1980s. Local–area networks (LANs) emerged as ways to network PCs in a common location. Networking technologies such as Token Ring and Ethernet allowed users to share disks and printers and exchange files with each other.
As originally defined, Ethernet and Token Ring provided network access to multiple devices on the same segment or ring. These LAN technologies had predefined limitations for how many devices could connect to a single segment, as well as for the physical distance between computers.
Desktop computers got faster, the number of computers grew, operating systems became multitasking (allowing multiple ...
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