Abstract

Full technical report of a comprehensive performance test and feature profiling. Vendors were 3Com, Cisco Systems, IBM, LanOptics, Madge Networks, Olicom, & Cabletron Systems. Note: The Cabletron ATX LAN Switch was formerly known as the SMC EliteSwitch ES/1. Cabletron purchased SMC's Enterprise Switching Division in the latter half of 1995. 

This document was released only to participating vendors. The Tolly Group released it to the general public in late 2025 for possible research value.

This also includes multiple appendices that profile various aspects of the switches.

Finally, the document includes both sample RFPs (developed by Tolly) and responses from each of the vendors.

This is likely the most comprehensive evaluation ever done of this technology;.