Your Network; Networking Terminology - 3Com 3C16720 User Manual

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Networking Terminology

A Network is a collection of workstations (for example,
IBM-compatible PCs) and other equipment (for example,
printers), connected for the purpose of exchanging
information. Networks vary in size, some are within a
single room, others span continents.
A Local Area Network (LAN) is a network, usually in an office,
that spans no more than a single site.
Ethernet is a type of LAN, referring to the technology used to
pass information around the network.
Fast Ethernet i s a type of LAN that runs up to ten times faster
than standard Ethernet.
10BASE-T is the name given to the Ethernet protocol that runs
over Twisted Pair (TP) cable.
100BASE-TX is the name given to the Fast Ethernet p rotocol
that runs over Twisted Pair (TP) cable. The
OfficeConnect hub uses RJ45 type connectors.
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REATING OUR
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ETWORK
A Network Loop occurs when two pieces of network equipment
are connected by more than one path. Your hub detects
this and Partitions (isolates) one of its ports to break the
loop.
A Segment is the length of Fast Ethernet c able connected to a
port .
Packets are the units of information your workstations and other
equipment send to each other over the network.
Collisions are a p art of normal Fast Ethernet o peration and occur
if two or more devices (pieces of network equipment)
attempt to transmit at the same time. A sudden
sustained increase in the number of collisions can
indicate a problem with a device, particularly if it is not
accompanied by a general increase in traffic.
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