3Com DUA1698 Bridge, Broadcast, Collision, Endstation, Fast Ethernet, Forwarding, Filtering

50GLOSSARY

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.
broadcast storm	Multiple simultaneous broadcasts that typically absorb all the available
	network bandwidth and can cause a network to fail. Broadcast storms
	can be due to faulty network devices.
collision	A term used to describe two colliding packets in an Ethernet network.
	Collisions are a part of normal Ethernet operation, but a sudden
	prolonged increase in the number of collisions can indicate a problem
	with a device, particularly if it is not accompanied by a general increase
	in traffic.
CSMA/CD	Carrier-sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection. The protocol
	defined in Ethernet and IEEE 802.3 standards in which devices transmit
	only after finding a data channel clear for a period of time. When two
	devices transmit simultaneously, a collision occurs and the colliding
	devices delay their retransmissions for a random length of time.
endstation	A computer, printer or server that is connected to a network.
Ethernet	A LAN specification developed jointly by Xerox, Intel and Digital
	Equipment Corporation. Ethernet networks use CSMA/CD to transmit
	packets at a rate of 10Mbps over a variety of cables.
Ethernet address	See MAC address.
Fast Ethernet	An Ethernet system that is designed to operate at 100Mbps.
forwarding	The process of sending a packet toward its destination using a
	networking device.
filtering	The process of screening a packet for certain characteristics, such as
	source address, destination address, or protocol. Filtering is used to
	determine whether traffic is to be forwarded, and can also prevent
	unauthorized access to a network or network devices.