Matrix switch for a network management system

摘要

A wiring hub for interconnecting a plurality of network components to form a local area network, the wiring hub including a data signal bus and a programmable switching mechanism connected to the data signal bus. The switching mechanism includes a plurality of ports each of which can be electrically coupled to a different one of the plurality of network components so as to pass communications signals to and receive communications signals from the network component to which it is coupled. The programmable switching mechanism interconnects a selectable set of the plurality of ports together through the data signal bus and in any user selectable ordered sequence.