3Com 1100 manual Glossary

GLOSSARY

10BASE-TThe IEEE specification for 10Mbps Ethernet over Category 3, 4 or 5 twisted pair cable.

100BASE-FXThe IEEE specification for 100Mbps Fast Ethernet over fiber-optic cable.

100BASE-TXThe IEEE specification for 100Mbps Fast Ethernet over Category 5 twisted-pair cable.

auto-negotiationA 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.