Switches with cut-through or fragment-free switching?

[JKoltner]

Hello,

Are Ethernet switches that perform cut-through or fragment-free switching common? I have an embedded application where the network configuration will be static (just a handful of Ethernet-connected devices -- 8 ports is plenty), by design there just aren't going to be that many collisions (if any), but I could definitely make use of the shorter latency that cut-through and fragment-free get you over store-and-forward.

All the switches on Newegg that list their "switching method" are all "store and forward," which is kinda depressing.

Thanks,
---Joel

 

[MadKing]

I don' think you will see any improvement in a small network. You will obtain those kind of switch in the business model.

Cut-through is use mainly on infiniband (supercomputer). Fragment free will not benifit if all the network is switched and there no old hub laying around.

That why you see mainly Store and forward for small switch because it's reliable and you will probably not see any difference and the lantency is still low anyway. Also the 2 others can't pass data at 100 Mbits to a port of 1000 Mbits for exemple. This is another reason you won't see any unmanaged switch either that Store and foward.

 

[Jeroen1000]

linky link. Nice explanation here: http://www.intel.com/support/express/switches/sb/CS-014410.htm