Frequently Asked Questions B-19
What is a Magic Packet? A Magic Packet is a valid Ethernet packet that
contains a synchronization stream immediately
followed by 16 repetitions of the destination MAC
address. This Magic Packet is not protocol-specific
as long as the protocol contains the sync stream
and the 16 repetitions. This Magic Packet can be
routed in order to wake up a remote PC. Since it
is a valid Ethernet address, the Remote Wake-Up
adapter can accept broadcast or multicast packets.
What is a cable
connect/disconnect? The adapter can also be awakened by
connecting or disconnecting the network cable.
What is Fast IP? Fast IP is software that improves performance on
switched networks. Fast IP allows end systems
(desktops and servers) to discover switched
communication paths. By creating switched
shortcuts, Fast IP allows end stations to bypass
the router and transfer data across wire-speed
switched paths. Fast IP is part of 3Com’s
DynamicAccess software, an advanced network
driver that brings intelligence to end systems to
provide improved network performance and
control.
What are the PC and network
requirements to run Fast IP? Client requirements:
PC running Windows 95 or Windows NT
(versions 4 or 3.51), 3Com 3C905B-TX adapter,
and the TCP/IP stack
Network requirements:
Switched path between stations and single
broadcast domain
What are the network
configuration requirements for
Fast IP?
Fast IP is designed to bypass the router,
particularly where the router is a bottleneck, as
well as to leverage the switched infrastructure.
For Fast IP to create shortcuts around routers,
there must be a switched path between source
and destination.
What is the performance gain
when using Fast IP? Fast IP bypasses the router to provide increased
performance in switched networks even if only
a small number of network nodes use Fast IP.
The performance gain obtained when deploying
Fast IP is directly related to traffic load on the
backbone router. The more traffic pumped to the
router, the greater the latency and response time
and the higher the performance gain. Internal tests
show performance increases on the order of
600% when routers are loaded at 70 to 75%.
Table B-2 Frequently Asked Questions (continued)
Question Answer