Other Possibilities

This chapter covered the basic components that you need to change when converting a network from 10BASE-2 to 10BASE-T and 100BASE-T, which are the most prevalent network standards in place today. However, in addition to the cables, connectors, network adapters, and other devices, a change such as this one might warrant further research into the larger network to which you're connected. In many cases, the local LAN is in reality part of a much larger network. When you have resources that are frequently accessed and lie outside the local LAN, you might need to look at the big picture when making decisions about the local area network. Consider the following:

• Do you need to replace the equipment that has been used to connect to the larger network?

• Are you currently using a bridge that can be replaced by a switch to improve performance?

• Do you have multiple small LANs that can now be merged into a single larger LAN connected by multiple switches?