Avaya P332GT-ML, Installation And Configuration Manual

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Chapter 11 Avaya P330 Layer 2 Features
54 Avaya P332GT -ML User’s Guide
Fast Ethernet
Fast Ethernet is a newer version of Ethernet, supporting data transfer rates of 100
Mbps. Fast Ethernet is sufficiently similar to Ethernet to support the use of most
existing Ethernet applications and network management tools. Fast Ethernet is also
known as 100BASE-T (over copper) or 100BASE-FX (over fiber).
Fast Ethernet is standardized as IEEE 802.3u.
Gigabit Ethernet
Gigabit Ethernet supports data rates of 1 Gbps. It is also known as 1000BASE-T
(over copper) or 1000BASE-FX (over fiber).
Gigabit Ethernet is standardized as IEEE 802.3z.
Configuring Ethernet Parameters
Auto-negotiation
Auto-Negotiation is a protocol that runs between two stations, two switchs or a
station and a switch. When enabled, Auto-Negotiation negotiates port speed and
duplex mode by detecting the highest common denominator port connection for the
endstations. For example, if one workstation supports both 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps
speed ports, while the other workstation only supports 10 Mbps, then Auto-
Negotiation sets the port speed to 10 Mbps.
For Gigabit ports, Auto-Negotiation determines the Flow Control configuration of
the port.
Full-Duplex/Half-Duplex
Devices that support Full-Duplex can transmit and receive data simultaneously, as
opposed to half-duplex transmission where each device can only communicate in
turn.
Full-Duplex provides higher throughput than half-duplex.
Speed
The IEEE defines three standard speeds for Ethernet: 10, 100 and 1000 Mbps (also
known as Ethernet, Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet respectively).