Glossary
aging – The automatic removal of dynamic entries from the Switch Database which have
ATM – Asynchronous Transfer Mode. A connection oriented transmission protocol based on fixed length cells (packets). ATM is designed to carry a complete range of user traffic, including voice, data, and video signals.
backbone port – A port that does not learn device addresses, and that receives all frames with an unknown address. Backbone ports are normally used to connect the Switch to the backbone of your network. Note that backbone ports were formerly known as designated downlink ports.
backbone – The part of a network used as the primary path for transporting traffic between network segments.
Bandwidth – 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 rate – The switching speed of a line. Also known as line speed.
BOOTP – The BOOTP protocol allows you to automatically map an IP address to a given MAC address each time a device is started. In addition, the protocol can assign the subnet mask and default gateway to a device.
bridge – A device that interconnects local or remote networks no matter what higher level protocols are involved. Bridges form a single logical network, centralizing network administration.
broadcast – A message sent to all destination devices on the network.
broadcast storm – Multiple simultaneous broadcasts that typically absorb available network bandwidth and can cause network failure.
console port – The port on the Switch accepting a terminal or modem connector. It changes the parallel arrangement of data within computers to the serial form used on data transmission links. This port is most often used for dedicated local management.
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