3Com CoreBuilder 2500 Getting Started Manual page 98

2 G
LOSSARY
bandwidth
Data, measured in bits per second, that a channel
can transmit. The bandwidth of an Ethernet
segment is 10 Mbps and the bandwidth for a Fast
Ethernet and FDDI segment is 100 Mbps.
bridges
Equipment that connects different LANs, allowing
communication between devices on separate LAN
segments. Bridges are protocol independent but
hardware specific, with communication limited to
the data link layer (1) and physical layer (2) of the
OSI reference model.
Bridges connect LANs with different hardware and
different protocols. An example would be a device
that connects an Ethernet network to an FDDI
network. This bridge would allow the two networks
to communicate.
The CoreBuilder 2500 system can operate as a
translation/transparent 802.1d bridge.
bus topology
An architecture distinguished by having all of its
nodes connected to a single cable.
campus network
A Local Area Network (LAN) consisting of several
smaller LANs within and between buildings.
client
A single-user computer that requests application or
network services from a server.
client-server
An architectural model of computing that distributes
computing power out to the desktop, where users
("clients") access resources from servers.
coaxial cable
A type of cable that typically has higher
performance specifications than twisted-pair wiring.
It is the conductor of choice for use in higher-speed
networks like Ethernet because of its high
bandwidth and low sensitivity to electrical
interference. Coaxial cable can be used in computer
networks at speeds of 16 million bits per second or
more.
concentrator
An FDDI station having additional PHY/PMD entities
beyond those required for its own attachment to
an FDDI network. These additional PHY/PMD
entities, called M (master) ports, are for the
attachment of other FDDI stations (including other
concentrators) in a tree topology.
DAC
Dual Attachment Concentrator. A concentrator that
offers two attachments to the FDDI network that
are capable of accommodating a dual,
counter-rotating ring. A DAC contains an A-B port
pair and at least one M port.