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From: lars@spectrum.CMC.COM (Lars Poulsen)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: Do multiport repeaters buffer packets?
Message-ID: <1990Aug27.163515.11248@spectrum.CMC.COM>
Date: 27 Aug 90 16:35:15 GMT
References: <65056@yarra.oz.au>
Organization: Rockwell CMC
Lines: 24

In article <65056@yarra.oz.au> chris@yarra.oz.au (Chris Jankowski) writes:
>Assume an asymmetrical configuration in the sense that there is
>a large server on one segment and a large number of PCs talking to it.
>The PCs are distributed among the other ports hanging off the multiport
>repeater.
>Just consider the following example:
>Assume that N-1 PCs each on different Ethernet segment generates a packet
>directed to the server at the same time. Even if the server's Ethernet
>segment is quiet only one of those packets can be delivered at a time.
>What happens with the others? 
>Does the N port repeater buffer the remaining frames?
>If not (and I believe that store and forward is a function of a bridge)
>what other strategy can a multiport repeater use?

A repeater is a very different animal from a bridge (though you may want
to have them combined in some fashion).

A repeater is a two-way device, so all of the segments connected by a
multiport repeater have THE SAME TRAFFIC on them. So while PC#A is
sending its message, PC#B and PC#C see CARRIER, and wait before
transmitting.
-- 
/ Lars Poulsen, SMTS Software Engineer
  CMC Rockwell  lars@CMC.COM