Diagram – Shared Segment vs Separate Segments

Think of a shared segment as all devices being directly connected to the same logical cable. With separate segments, each individual connection maintains its independence. The switch patches frames from one segment to another as needed. Instead of requiring one shared logical cable, the frame moves from one independent cable segment to another through the switch. Because the devices are no longer competing for the same shared cable, transmissions on different segments do not collide with each other.