[lug] Re: switch

[Tkil]

the best way i've found to remember this sort of thing is to think of
the situation with serial cables.  

you had male plugs on the computer ("data terminal equipment" or DTEs
in RS-232 parlance), and female plugs on the modem or printer ("data
communication devices" or DCEs).  doing the "usual" connection takes a
straight-through cable; but, if you want to connect two computers
together, you need a "null modem" (== twisted-pair ethernet crossover
cable) and a gender bender (since you need female plugs on both ends
of the cable)

with TP ethernet boxes, you have "NIC ports" and "hub/switch ports".
the usual connection is straight through, and everything works.
however, when you want to connect one "hub/switch port" to another
"hub/switch port", you need to use a crossover cable.

however, most hubs and switches were built with this need in mind.
some have dedicated "uplink ports" which are really the same "sex" as
"NIC ports", and are ready to be connected with a *straight* cable to
a "hub/switch port" on another hub or switch; others have a port that
is normally a "hub/switch port" but can be toggled to behave as an
uplink ("nic") port.

does this help?  did i get it right?

t.