A small LAN connected to a router with
workstations A, B, and C, a server and a networked printer

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of each image, to progress to the next illustration.

All is quiet

Workstation A sends data packets to the printer. The switch knows what port the printer is on and routes the data to that port (segmentation). No other device "hears" the traffic.

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While A is printing on a virtual direct connection, C is able to hit the Internet as the switch sends C's packets only to the router. The router knows the data from C is going out to the WAN

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While "A" prints, "C" surfs the web, "B" can access the server without collisions or slow-downs. The switch keeps a table of each connected device's address and knows which port to direct traffic through.

 

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