Chapter 5. Switch Port Configuration

This chapter covers the following topics that you need to master for the CCNP BCMSN exam:

• Ethernet Concepts This section discusses the concepts and technology behind various forms of Ethernet media.

• Connectivity with Scalable Ethernet This section covers the configuration steps and commands needed to use Catalyst Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit and 10-Gigabit Ethernet switch ports in a network.

• Connecting Switch Block Devices This section discusses the physical cabling and connectivity used with Catalyst switches, including console and Ethernet interfaces.

• Troubleshooting Port Connectivity This section covers some of the symptoms, methods, and switch commands that you can use to diagnose problems with Ethernet switch connections.

Chapters 1, "Campus Network Overview," and 2, "Modular Network Design," dealt with the logical processes that you can use to design a campus network. Connections between switch blocks were discussed so that traffic can be transported efficiently across the campus. Single connections, load balancing, and redundant paths connected switches in modular blocks for complete connectivity. However, these paths were only functional pathsno specifics were presented about how much traffic the network could handle or what physical capabilities were supported. These topics become important when you begin to size traffic loads and actually connect Cisco switch devices.

This chapter presents the various Ethernet network technologies used to establish switched connections within the campus network. The chapter also details the switch commands required for configuring and troubleshooting Ethernet LAN ports.