Santa Monica, California-based Retix Inc has added a second Fast Ethernet option to its SwitchStak 5000 Ethernet switch (CI No 2,428): alongside the existing two-port 100Base-FX fibre module, the company is now shipping an optional 100Base-TX module for backbone or server connections over two-pair Category 5 unshielded twisted pair. The switch has also been enhanced with a new architecture, claimed to combine the advantages of RISC and ASIC processing. The model still uses the Intel Corp 80960 RISC processor, but new application-specific integrated circuits are said to provide wire-speed forwarding of data. A new uni-memory capability is also said to provide full-rate forwarding of broadcast and multicast traffic. In its base 10-port stand-alone configuration the SwitchStak 5000 will list for $4,000, with the 100Base-TX option costing $1,250.
