Performance analysis of interconnected LANs

As the number of attached systems associated with a LAN increases, so the need for the various types of interconnection devices start to manifest themselves. Very often, however, the selection of a particular type of interconnection device is based on technological grounds rather than on known performance gains. The authors present the results of a series of simulations that have been carried out on various LAN topologies in order to quantify the potential performance gains of the various types of interconnection devices. The results presented relate mainly to LANs comprising multiple linked CSMA/CD segments, although in many instances they are also applicable to LANs comprising other types of segments