Reference Manual for the ProSafe VPN Firewall FVS318v3
2Glossary
January 2005
ARP
Address Resolution Protocol, a TCP/IP protocol used to convert an IP address into a physical address (called
a DLC address), such as an Ethernet address. A host wishing to obtain a physical address broadcasts an ARP
request onto the TCP/IP network. The host on the network that has the IP address in the request then replies
with its physical hardware address. There is also Reverse ARP (RARP) which can be used by a host to
discover its IP address. In this case, the host broadcasts its physical address and a RARP server replies with
the host's IP address.
Auto Uplink
Auto UplinkTM technology (also called MDI/MDIX) eliminates the need to worry about crossover vs.
straight-through Ethernet cables. Auto UplinkTM will accommodate either type of cable to make the right
connection.
B
Bandwidth
The information capacity, measured in bits per second, that a channel could transmit. Bandwidth examples
include 10 Mbps for Ethernet, 100 Mbps for Fast Ethern et, and 1000 Mbps (I Gbps) for Gigabit Ethernet.
Baud
The signaling rate of a line, that is, the number of transitions (voltage or frequency changes) made per
second. Also known as line speed.
Broadcast
A packet sent to all devices on a network.
C
Class of Service
A term to describe treating different types of traffic with different levels of service priority. Higher priority
traffic gets faster treatment during times of switch congestion
CA
A Certificate Authority is a trusted third-party organization or company that issues digital certificates used
to create digital signatures and public -private key pairs.
Cat 5
Category 5 unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cabling . An Ethernet network operating at 10 Mbits/second
(10BASE-T) will often tolerate low quality cables, but at 100 Mbits/second (10BASE-Tx) the cable must be
rated as Category 5, or Cat 5 or Cat V, by the Electronic Industry Association (EIA). This rating will be