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Dual-speed stackable repeater with internal bridge for cascading or speed-linking

  • US 6,396,841 B1
  • Filed: 06/23/1998
  • Issued: 05/28/2002
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1998
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A dual-speed stackable repeater unit comprising:

  • a first connection to a first stacking bus that operates at a first network speed;

    a second connection to a second stacking bus that operates at a second network speed;

    a plurality of ports for connecting to network stations, the plurality of ports including first ports operating at the first network speed and second ports operating at the second network speed;

    an internal repeater, coupled to the first and second stacking buses by the first and second connections, for repeating data received from one of the first ports to all other first ports and to the first stacking bus, and for repeating data received from one of the second ports to all other second ports and to the second stacking bus;

    an internal bridge, coupled to the first stacking bus and coupled to the second stacking bus, for storing data packets from the first stacking bus and forwarding the stored data packets to the second stacking bus;

    a buffered cascading port, coupled to the internal bridge, for receiving data packets from an external repeater, the internal bridge forwarding the packets to the first and second stacking buses; and

    a switch, coupled between the internal bridge and the second stacking bus, for disconnecting the internal bridge from the second stacking bus when the repeater unit is configured as a cascading unit, but for connecting the internal bridge to the second stacking bus when the repeater unit is configured as a linking unit, wherein the internal bridge in the repeater unit links the first stacking bus to the second stacking bus when the repeater unit is configured as a linking unit, but the internal bridge in the repeater unit not linking the first stacking bus to the second stacking bus when the repeater unit is configured as a cascading unit, whereby the internal bridge buffers packets from the external repeater on the buffered cascading port.

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