Glossary E-4
Ethernet A LAN protocol that supports data transfer rates of 10 Mbps. It is a widely
implemented LAN standard that operates over the twisted pair or coaxial cable. A
version of Ethernet, called 100 Base-T (or FastEthernet), supports data transfer
rates of 100 Mbps.
FastEthernet An Ethernet specification with a speed of 100 Mbps (10 times faster than
10BaseT).
Fragmentation
Threshold
The size at which the transmitted data packets are fragmented. The range extends
from 256 to 2346 bytes.
Full duplex Simultaneous and independent data transmission, between two communicating
computers, in both directions.
Half duplex A data transmission system where two computers can send and receive data but in
which data transmission can occur in only one direction at a time.
Hexadecimal A number system with a base of 16. The 16 digits in the hexadecimal system are
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, a, b, c, d, e, f.
Hub A device used for connecting nodes in a star topology, that is, all the nodes are
connected to a central hub. A passive hub simply organizes the wiring, while an
active hub, besides organizing the wiring, regenerates and retransmits the signals.
IEEE 802.11 A family of wireless network standards, which includes 802.11a, 802.11b,
802.11e, and 802.11g (draft). The original 802.11 standard was first approved in
1997 but was not very successful because it was relatively slow at 2 Mbps.
IEEE 802.11b A high-bit wireless network standard that works on the 2.4 GHz band and utilizes
DSSS (direct sequence spread spectrum) technology. It offers data bit rates of up
to 11 Mbps and the range is from 200 to 300 feet for maximum speed.