Appendix A: Glossary - Linksys Instant Gigabit EG005W User Manual

Appendix A: Glossary

10BaseT - An Ethernet standard that uses twisted wire pairs.
100BaseTX - IEEE physical layer specification for 100 Mbps over two pairs of
Category 5 UTP or STP wire.
1000BASE-T - provides half-duplex and full-duplex 1000Mb/s Ethernet service
over Category 5 links as defined by ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A. Topology rules for
1000BASE-T are the same as those used for 100BASE-T. Category 5 link lengths
are limited to 100 meters by the ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A cabling standard.
Adapter - Printed circuit board that plugs into a PC to add to capabilities or con-
nectivity to a PC. In a networked environment, a network interface card is the typ-
ical adapter that allows the PC or server to connect to the intranet and/or Internet.
Architecture - The total design and implementation of the network. It includes
the network's topology, transmission technologies and communications proto-
cols, management and security systems, and any other attributes that give a net-
work a particular set of capabilities and functionalities.
Auto-MDI/MDIX - On a network hub or switch, an auto-MDI/MDIX port auto-
matically senses if it needs to act as a MDI or MDIX port. The auto-MDI/MDIX
capability eliminates the need for crossover cables.
Auto-negotiate - To automatically determine the correct settings. The term is
often used with communications and networking. For example, Ethernet 10/100
cards, hubs and switches can determine the highest speed of the node they are
connected to and adjust their transmission rate accordingly.
Backbone - The part of a network that connects most of the systems and net-
works together and handles the most data.
Bandwidth - The transmission capacity of a given facility, in terms of how much
data the facility can transmit in a fixed amount of time; expressed in bits per sec-
ond (bps).
Bit - A binary digit. The value - 0 or 1-used in the binary numbering system.
Also, the smallest form of data.
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Instant Gigabit Series
®
Gigabit 5-Port Workgroup Switch
Boot - To cause the computer to start executing instructions. Personal computers
contain built-in instructions in a ROM chip that are automatically executed on
startup. These instructions search for the operating system, load it and pass con-
trol to it.
CAT 5 - ANSI/EIA (American National Standards Institute/Electronic Industries
Association) Standard 568 is one of several standards that specify "categories"
(the singular is commonly referred to as "CAT") of twisted pair cabling systems
(wires, junctions, and connectors) in terms of the data rates that they can sustain.
CAT 5 cable has a maximum throughput of 100 Mbps and is usually utilized for
100BaseTX networks.
CAT 5e - The additional cabling performance parameters of return loss and far-
end crosstalk (FEXT) specified for 1000BASE-T and not specified for 10BASE-
T and 100BASE-TX are related to differences in the signaling implementation.
10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX signaling is unidirectional-signals are transmitted
in one direction on a single wire pair. In contrast, Gigabit Ethernet is bi-direc-
tional-signals are transmitted simultaneously in both directions on the same wire
pair; that is, both the transmit and receive pair occupy the same wire pair.
Database - A database is a collection of data that is organized so that its contents
can easily be accessed, managed, and updated.
Data Packet - One frame in a packet-switched message. Most data communica-
tions is based on dividing the transmitted message into packets. For example, an
Ethernet packet can be from 64 to 1518 bytes in length.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) - A technology that dramatically increases the dig-
ital capacity of ordinary telephone lines into the home or office and, by employ-
ing unused bandwidth, still allows for normal phone usage. DSL provides
"always-on" operation, eliminating the need to dial in to the service.
Ethernet - IEEE standard network protocol that specifies how data is placed on
and retrieved from a common transmission medium. Has a transfer rate of 10
Mbps. Forms the underlying transport vehicle used by several upper-level proto-
cols, including TCP/IP and XNS.
Fast Ethernet - A 100 Mbps technology based on the 10Base-T Ethernet
CSMA/CD network access method.
Full Duplex - The ability of a device or line to transmit data simultaneously in
both directions.
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