D-Link DGE-500SX manual Introduction, System Requirements, Gigabit Ethernet Technology

Introduction

Thank you for choosing the D-Link DGE-500SX Giga-Ether adapter for PCI Bus-equipped personal computers. The DGE-500SX is ideal for speeding up data transfers for network servers and other computers, such as those used for video-conferencing, that send and/or receive large amounts of data. The DGE-500SX also includes the newest networking technologies, such as VLAN and multicasting support, that use network bandwidth more efficiently and further help the card maximize data throughput.

System Requirements

The host computer or server using the DGE-500SX needs to meet the following minimum requirements:

•Processor – Pentium-class CPU or higher

•Memory – 32MB RAM (Linux only), all other NOSs require 64 MB RAM

•PCI slot – 32- or 64-bit PCI Local Bus Slot Rev. 2.1 or later

(please refer to the motherboard User’s Guide)

•BIOS – Latest BIOS (Contact the PC manufacturer or BIOS manufacturer’s website to verify)

•Network connection – an IEEE 802.3z-compliant gigabit switch, modular switch port or buffered repeater

•Operating System – One of the following:

Windows 95 (OSR2)

Windows 98

Windows NT 4.0 (Service Pack 5)

Windows NT 2000 Beta 3

Linux OS Kernel v2.0/2.2

Novell Netware v3.12, Support Pack 312PTD

Novell Netware v3.2

Novell Netware v4.11, Support Pack 5

Novell Netware v4.2

Novell Netware v5.0

Gigabit Ethernet Technology

Gigabit Ethernet is an extension of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet utilizing the same packet structure, format, and support for CSMA/CD protocol, full duplex, and management objects, but with a tenfold increase in theoretical throughput over 100Mbps Fast Ethernet and a one hundred- fold increase over 10Mbps Ethernet. Since it is compatible with all 10Mbps and 100Mbps Ethernet environments, Gigabit Ethernet provides a straightforward upgrade without wasting a company’s existing investment in hardware, software, and trained personnel.

The increased speed and extra bandwidth offered by Gigabit Ethernet is essential to coping with the network bottlenecks that frequently develop as computers and their busses get faster and more users use applications that generate more traffic. Upgrading key components, such as your backbone and servers to Gigabit Ethernet can greatly improve network response times as well as significantly speed up the traffic between your subnets.

Gigabit Ethernet enables fast optical fiber connections to support video conferencing, complex imaging, and similar data-intensive applications. Likewise, since data transfers occur 10 times faster than Fast Ethernet, servers outfitted with Gigabit Ethernet NIC’s are able to perform 10 times the number of operations in the same amount of time.

In addition, the phenomenal bandwidth delivered by Gigabit Ethernet is the most cost- effective method to take advantage of today and tomorrow’s rapidly improving switching and routing internetworking technologies. And with expected advances in the coming years in silicon technology and digital signal processing that will enable Gigabit Ethernet to

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