3Com III User Manual page 68

2 G
LOSSARY
Backbone
The main transmission medium used to interconnect the
workgroup areas of a network. It is usually coaxial or fiber-optic.
Backplane
A motherboard assembly in a PC with connectors and printed
circuit traces into which printer circuit boards are inserted.
Bus
An electronic pathway along which signals are transmitted
from one area of a computer to another.
Bus master adapter
An adapter that contains its own processor, which allows the
adapter to operate independently of the computer's main
processor.
Coaxial cable
An electrical wire consisting of two primary electrical
elements: an outer braided wire that acts as a ground and an
inner one used to carry signals.
Configuration
The software settings that allow different hardware
components of a computer system to communicate with
one another.
Driver
A program, usually resident in server or workstation
memory, that controls the network hardware (such as
adapters or controllers) or implements the protocol stacks
through which higher-level applications communicate with
the network hardware.
Echo server
A computer set up to function as an "echo" to the primary
computer. An echo server receives packets from the adapter
being tested and echoes them back to the adapter.