3Com 3C16954, User Manual

Page: 43 / 54

G
LOSSARY
10BASE-T The IEEE specification for 10Mbps Ethernet over Category 3, 4 or 5
twisted pair cable.
100BASE-FX The IEEE specification for 100Mbps Fast Ethernet over fiber-optic cable.
100BASE-TX The IEEE specification for 100Mbps Fast Ethernet over Category 5
twisted-pair cable.
auto-negotiation A feature on twisted pair ports that allows them to advertise their
capabilities for speed, duplex and flow control. When connected to a
port that also supports auto-negotiation, the link can automatically
configure itself to the optimum setup.
backbone The part of a network used as a primary path for transporting traffic
between network segments.
bandwidth The information capacity, measured in bits per second, that a channel
can transmit. The bandwidth of Ethernet is 10Mbps, the bandwidth of
Fast Ethernet is 100Mbps.
baud The signalling rate of a line, that is, the number of transitions (voltage
or frequency changes) made per second. Also known as
line speed .
bridge A device that interconnects two LANs of a different type to form a
single logical network that comprises of two network segments.
Bridges learn which endstations are on which network segment by
examining the source addresses of packets. They then use this
information to forward packets based on their destination address. This
process is known as filtering.
broadcast A packet sent to all devices on a network.
16954ua.book Page 43 Friday, April 30, 1999 9:39 AM