DFE-530TX 10/100Mbps Ethernet Adapter for PCI Bus
line quality and settled on the combination of shared options and parameters which will provide the best data communication over the connecting phone line, then you are given the •onnect” message which signals the end of the intermodem negotiation and the beginning of your intended communication with the remote computer.
Auto-negotiation between devices within an Ethernet LAN is similar in concept, but much briefer. The two devices involved in the auto-negotiation will be the DFE-530TX Adapter serving your station (installed in your computer), and the hub through which it is connected into the LAN. The options to be negotiated between the DFE-530TX and its supporting hub include Ethernet type (100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet or 10BASE-T Ethernet) and duplex mode (half-duplex, being one-way-at-a-time, or full duplex, being simultaneous transmit-and-receive).
Startup communication between the two devices occurs when both devices are power-on, the cable connection between them is good, and the Network Operating System software is running. As soon as those conditions are satisfied, the preparatory process of auto- negotiation between the DFE-530TX and its supporting hub proceeds automatically. If the hub has auto-negotiation function- ality, then it and the DFE-530TX exchange a series of messages in which each device signals its capabilities and listens for corresponding information about the other. The auto-negotiation process requires only a few milliseconds, and the two devices select the best communication parameters supported by both devices.
If the hub does not have auto-negotiation functionality, then its monotone (single capability) message will be recognized by the DFE-530TX•auto-negotiation facility, and the DFE-530TX will simply switch to the one of its own capabilities which matches that of the hub.