Carrier Ethernet System Supporting Flexible Media Management

The paper relates to a Carrier Ethernet system supporting multiple media, a medium managing method therefore, and a switching system using the same. More particularly, this relates to an Ethernet port supporting multiple physical media that can use and manage multiple transmission media by freely selecting and exchanging the transmission media with another one in a switching system using ports, such as switches and routers, a medium managing method therefore, and a switching system using the Ethernet port. In other words, a system user forms two different types of physical media, which are copper cable and optical cable, in the switching system that can include multiple Ethernet ports, upon a request from the user, and exchanges and substitutes the physical media flexibly with another media in the operation of the switching system. This method offers an advantage to network operator and systems developer and also reduces system price.