How many switches can be cascaded?

[yoggit]

We have a problem that we believe to be related to LAN diameter - number of hops and cable length...

It seems that broadcasts aren't "behaving" between the farthest edges of the LAN.

I'm reading the CCDA Exam guide and it talks about collision domains and limitations pertaining to them...what about broadcast domains?? There's no mention of size limits on them!

Surely there are limits on how "long" a LAN can be with regards to propagation delays for broadcasts....does anybody know where I could find info on this?

Thanks,
Yoggit

 

[scraig84]

If you are not breaking the limits of the collision domain, than you are certainly not breaking the limits of the broadcast domain from a distance perspective. The only limitations pertaining to broadcast domains relate to the amount of devices and the broadcast nature of the applications in use on the network. Therefore, there is no set limit to the size, as the limitations are variables.

If you are following the 5-4-3 rule (5 segments, 4 repeaters, 3 populated segments - then you are fine). However, if you are 4 populated hubs or switches deep, you could have issues.