Chapter 1 BayStack 420 Switch 39Using the BayStack 420 10/100/1000 SwitchMultiLink TrunkingThe MultiLink Trunking feature allows you to group multiple ports, two to fourtogether, when forming a link to another switch or server, thus increasingaggregate throughput of the interconnection between two devices, up to 800 Mb/sin full-duplex mode. The BayStack 420 Switch can be configured with up to sixMultiLink Trunks in a stack. The trunk members can only be configured within asingle unit in the stack.For more information about the MultiLink Trunking feature, see “MultiLinkTrunk Configuration Menu screen” on page 133.Port mirroring (conversation steering)The port mirroring feature (sometimes referred to as conversation steering) allowsyou to designate a single switch port as a traffic monitor for a specified port. Youcan specify port-based monitoring for ingress to a specific port. You can alsoattach a probe device (such as a Nortel Networks StackProbe, or equivalent) to thedesignated monitor port.For more information about the port mirroring feature, see “Port MirroringConfiguration screen” on page 139.Autosensing, autonegotiation, and autopolarityThe BayStack 420 switches are autosensing and autonegotiating devices:• The term autosense refers to a port’s ability to sense the speed of an attacheddevice.• The term autonegotiation refers to a standardized protocol (IEEE 802.3u) thatexists between two IEEE 802.3u-capable devices. Autonegotiation allows theswitch to select the best of both speed and duplex modes.• The term autopolarity refers to automatic detection of transmit and receivetwisted pairs.
