Configuring Ethernet Switch Ports

Switch Ports

Physical openings where data cables are plugged into connect the devices are Switch ports. According to the requirements the switch port type should be configured considering the factors like speed, mode, network architecture, and functionality.

Switch Ports Configuration

Configuring the Interface Speed

Switch>enable

Switch# configure terminal

Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

Switch (config) #hostname Networking2

Networking2 (config) #interface fastEthernet 0/1

Networking2 (config-if) #speed?

Switch Speed Options

Networking2 (config-if) #speed auto

Networking2 (config-if) #exit

Networking2 (config) #

Configuring Mode of an Interface

When the process of IEEE auto-negotiation works on both devices, both devices agree to support the fastest speed. Additionally, the concept of half and full-duplex mode used here means full-duplex is used if it is supported by both devices and in half-duplex it is not. However, if one device is using auto-negotiation and the other is disabled, then the auto-negotiation device chooses the default duplex setting based on the current speed.

The default setting is as follows:

v Use half-duplex, 10 Mbps if the speed is unknown.

v Default to use half-duplex if the speed is somehow known to be 10 or 100Mbps.

v Default to use full-duplex if the speed is somehow known to be 1000Mbps.

Networking2 (config) #interface fastEthernet 0/1

Networking2 (config-if) #duplex?