1
I
NTRODUCTION
The 3Com
â
Fast EtherLink
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Parallel Tasking
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10/100BASE-T4
PCI adapter is a 32-bit adapter for use in a personal computer
with a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) computer bus.
It operates whether or not bus mastering is enabled.
This adapter (model number 3C595-T4) is a dual-speed adapter
that can be connected to an Ethernet or Fast Ethernet network
with a single connection over unshielded twisted-pair (UTP)
cable. The adapter supports all UTP cable types, including
Category 3, 4, and 5 UTP as well as screened Category 5 UTP.
For 10BASE-T operation, the 10/100BASE-T4 adapter requires
two pairs of Category 3, 4, or 5 UTP. For 100BASE-T4 operation,
the 10/100BASE-T4 requires four pairs of Category 3, 4, or 5 UTP.
The adapter automatically senses and switches to either
10 Mbps or 100 Mbps operation depending on the type of
hub to which the adapter is connected, as follows:
■
When the adapter is connected to a hub that supports 10BASE-T
Ethernet (10 Mbps), it switches to a network speed of 10 Mbps.
■
When the adapter is connected to a hub that supports
100BASE-T4 Fast Ethernet, it switches to a network speed of
100 Mbps.
The bus master drivers supplied with this adapter are
compatible with the Fast EtherLink 10/100BASE-TX PCI and
EISA adapters. The bus master drivers shipped on the 3C59X
EtherDisk
â
diskette are compatible with the 3C59X family of
adapters; they are not backward-compatible with the 3C5X9
family of EtherLink III adapters.
The computer’s PCI BIOS automatically configures the I/O port
address and IRQ. All other required parameters are set to
factory-default values.
