72GLOSSARY
category 5e cables
One of five grades of Twisted Pair (TP) cabling defined by the
category 6 cable
One of five grades of Twisted Pair (TP) cabling defined by the
client
The term used to describe the desktop PC that is connected to your network.
DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. This protocol automatically assigns an IP address for every computer on your network. Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0 contain software that assigns IP addresses to workstations on a network. These assignments are made by the DHCP server software that runs on Windows NT Server.
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 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps over a variety of cables.
Ethernet address
See MAC address.
Fast Ethernet
An Ethernet system that is designed to operate at 100 Mbps.
Gigabit Ethernet
An Ethernet system that is designed to operate at 1000 Mbps.
full-duplex
A system that allows packets to be transmitted and received at the same time and, in effect, doubles the potential throughput of a link.
half-duplex
A system that allows packets to be transmitted and received, but not at the same time.
IEEE
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. This American organization was founded in 1963 and sets standards for computers and communications.
IEEE 802.1D
Specifies a general method for the operation of MAC bridges, including the Spanning Tree Protocol.
IEEE 802.1Q
VLAN Tagging - Defines Ethernet frame tags that carry VLAN information. It allows switches to assign endstations to different virtual LANs, and defines a
