Mixing 10 MBit & 100 MBit Ethernet
 

I've got a lot of the old 10 MBit ethernet cards, hubs, etc. For surfing the internet at 1.5 MBits/sec, these 10 MBit devices are fine.

My file servers are currently also stuck at 10 MBits, and this has proven to be a signifigant bottleneck. I'm therefore considering replacing some old hubs and cards to raise the speed to 100 MBits, at least on selected portions of the network. (My network is fairly complex, with a DMZ and an intranet.)

I'm wondering how I will be able to mix & match 10 MBit and 100 MBit devices.

I presume that all devices plugged into a hub have to be the same (100 MBit cards plug into 100 MBit hub), but what happens if a **single** 10 MBit card is plugged into a 100 MBit hub? Do all the connections revert back to 10 MBit speeds?

Can somebody outline how this works, or point me to a link to explore this?

some hubs have autonegotiations for EACH port so that each runs at its max (without crippling the fast one, for example). look for a hub that will allow you to mix and match. Quite a few do.

cheers.

--iggy

I suggest a 10/100 switch like
http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=69