switching between communication ports of a notebook is typically accomplished using an off - chip local area network switch or an off - chip high speed analog multiplexer . this off - chip component is disadvantageous for several reasons , including : added cost of an additional component ; increased overall power consumption because transmit amplitude loss ; and reduced cable reach and link performance due to hybrid mismatch and signal distortions . to reduce cost and preserve electrical and networking performance , an integrated switch is provided to multiplex signals of a networking communication chip to multiple network paths .