3Com Network Switch Interconnection Question

[blackpool9]

Excuse my ignorance on this matter, as I am a programmer who has been forced to take over network administration for my company, and I'm trying to learn on the job.

We've got 5 48-port 3Com 10/100 switches in the rack. Three of them are connected using the "cascade" connection in the back. The other two are similarly connected to each other. The two groups are connected to each other using a standard CAT5 cable.

What is the benefit to using the "cascade" connection versus the ethernet connection? We are running two separate domains, are the cascade connections domain-specific? I'm not sure which connection is better. Should they all be connected using the ethernet or all connected using the cascade?

Any help at all would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[randal]

In my experience, using the cascade connections lets the stack of switches be managed as a single device instead of 3 separate switches. Additionally, the cascade connections generally have more bandwidth than an ethernet port, which allows for more inter-switch throughput.

Whether or not those switch-groups are in two separate domains, I have no idea. Chase some cabling and find out.

 

[blackpool9]

That makes sense to me. Thank you.