Campus Data Networking Architecture:
Alternative C
Pervasive ATM

Major features include:

Inter-building backbone: Redundant central hubs, with automatic failover protection, use ATM switching between buildings coupled with a "super router" to route between subnets. An ATM "mesh" is established with some buildings serving as regional "hubs" redundantly interconnected.

Intra-building backbone: Ethernet switches, eventually with ATM and/or distributed routing support ("edge routing devices"), are deployed everywhere to reduce the size of the collision domain within buildings and provide a scalable building interconnection.

Wiring strategies and standards: EIA/TIA 568 continues to be the wiring standard. Ethernet switches are deployed within buildings as bandwidth requirements demand. Secure hubs prevent promiscuous listening on the few shared ethernet segments that remain. Some 100-Base-X fast ethernet outlets are deployed. Campus ethernet connections begin to migrate towards "personal ethernet" which allows local hubs on 10-base-T or fast ethernet outlets. Limited deployment of ATM to the desktop