LAN Segmentation

Segmentation has several advantages, first it decreases or eliminates collisions, and it also increases bandwidth for each individual user. A security issue that is solved is that it will keep each user in his or her segment. So the can’t mess up stuff that is not theirs.

Bridges use MAC addressing so there is no need for IP addresses, collisions are less because frames are filtered, and bridges break up the collision domain but not the broadcast domain. Traffic will not go out over the whole network if the address is in the segment, only that individual segment. Switches perform the same functions as the bridges when it comes to network segmentation, but they are usually optimized for speed, which is called wire speed.

Routers can also be used for LAN segmentation. A router unlike bridges and switches does not forward broadcast frames. Routers deliver data at the network layer by IP address instead of the MAC address. A router looks at more of the frame, taking more time, so increasing throughput time. A router has much more flexibility, it can do more things.