31 October 2005, Gallatin, Missouri – Several enhancements to WideBand managed switches are helping customers keep their critical networks up and going. These enhancements, included with WideBand’s latest Layer 2 and Layer 3 managed switches, offer advanced redundancy features including spanning tree.
Spanning tree is an IEEE standard that allows managed network switches to “turn off” or disable redundant connections between devices. This allows network devices to have multiple paths to each other without creating bandwidth-consuming loops in the network that can sometimes cause “broadcast storms” and lock up the network.
In networks without spanning tree, switches are connected in a star topology, with one path from each switch to the rest of the network. WideBand’s implementation of spanning tree allows extra connections to be used for redundancy. This gives network administrators the option to create network rings, making multiple paths to the rest of the network. If the active connection is broken — perhaps by a cable being cut or a switch losing power — the next shortest path through the network is automatically activated. In addition to providing redundancy, WideBand’s spanning tree feature eliminates troublesome loops in the network.
When enabled, WideBand’s spanning tree features run automatically with no need for additional configuration. The shortest paths through the network are detected and used while additional connections are kept on standby.
WideBand’s spanning tree features are used at hospitals, broadcast companies and other enterprises where constant network connectivity is essential. One Texas-based hospital has spanning tree connections throughout its WideBand network core, ensuring that even if a switch were to go down, the network would continue to run.
WideBand Corporation is the leading manufacturer of Gigabit Ethernet products that work over existing cables. Their products are manufactured in the United States to strict standards of quality assurance. WideBand markets its products to private industry, the education sector, and to state and federal government. More information on WideBand Corporation and its products is available at www.wband.com.
Safe Harbor Statement:
This news release contains information that is ‘forward-looking’ in that it describes conditions which WideBand Corporation reasonably expects to occur in the future. Expectations for future performance of the business of WideBand is dependent on a number of factors, and there can be no assurance that WideBand will achieve the results as contemplated herein. The accuracy of these statements cannot be guaranteed, as they are subject to a variety of risks, including the possibility that the described activities or events will not be completed or occur.