An adaptive switch is designed to operate in cut-through mode (cut-through switching

Cut-through switching

In computer networking, cut-through switching is a method for packet switching systems, wherein the switch starts forwarding a frame before the whole frame has been received, normally as soon as the destination address is processed...

) normally but if a port's error rate jumps too high, the switch automatically reconfigures the port to run in store-and-forward mode

This optimizes the switch's performance by providing higher speed cut-through switching

Cut-through switching

In computer networking, cut-through switching is a method for packet switching systems, wherein the switch starts forwarding a frame before the whole frame has been received, normally as soon as the destination address is processed...

 switching if error rates are low but higher throughput store and forward

Store and forward

Store and forward is a telecommunications technique in which information is sent to an intermediate station where it is kept and sent at a later time to the final destination or to another intermediate station. The intermediate station, or node in a networking context, verifies the integrity of...

 switching if error rates are high.

Adaptive switching is typically done on a port-by-port basis.

See also

• Network switch
  Network switch
  A network switch or switching hub is a computer networking device that connects network segments.The term commonly refers to a multi-port network bridge that processes and routes data at the data link layer of the OSI model...
  
  
• Ethernet
  Ethernet
  Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
  
  
• Store and forward
  Store and forward
  Store and forward is a telecommunications technique in which information is sent to an intermediate station where it is kept and sent at a later time to the final destination or to another intermediate station. The intermediate station, or node in a networking context, verifies the integrity of...
  
  
• Fragment free
• Cut-through switching
  Cut-through switching
  In computer networking, cut-through switching is a method for packet switching systems, wherein the switch starts forwarding a frame before the whole frame has been received, normally as soon as the destination address is processed...