If you're a network manager or designer, this surefire guide will enable you to make informed decisions about all of the high-speed LANs available now or coming soon. Written by the LAN expert at Data Communications magazine, the book examines all eight of the standards-based high speed LAN technologies, as well as the five proprietary switching technologies that can be added to low-speed LANs in order to boost performance. You'll find a precise definition of each high-speed LAN technology, an analysis of their effectiveness and cost, as well as cross-comparisons of their strengths and weaknesses. This indispensable reference tool covers eight high-speed LAN Standards: ATM, FDDI, FDDI II, Fibre Channel, HIPPI, IsoEnet, 100Base-T (Fast Ethernet), and 100VG-AnyLAN; Ethernet switches, Token Ring switches, FDDI switches, 100Base-T switches, and 100 VG-AnyLAN switches; all the information required to cope with bandwidth crisis on your LAN; and reliable guidance on designing and implementing LANs. Filled with many helpful illustrations, this unique reference will show you how to choose the high speed LAN that's right for your network - and avoid potential pitfalls on the path to higher performance.