3Com 1100 - Manual (Page 234)

234 G LOSSARY
bridge A device that interconnects two LANs of a different type to form a
single logical network that comprises of two network segments.
Bridges learn which endstations are on which network segment by
examining the source addresses of packets. They then use this
information to forward packets based on their destination address. This
process is known as filtering.
broadcast A packet sent to all devices on a network.
broadcast storm Multiple simultaneous broadcasts that typically absorb all the available
network bandwidth and can cause a network to fail. Broadcast storms
can be due to faulty network devices.
collision A term used to describe two colliding packets in an Ethernet network.
Collisions are a part of normal Ethernet operation, but a sudden
prolonged 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.
CSMA/CD Carrier-sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection. The protocol
defined in Ethernet and IEEE 802.3 standards in which devices transmit
only after finding a data channel clear for a period of time. When two
devices transmit simultaneously, a collision occurs and the colliding
devices delay their retransmissions for a random length of time.
endstation A computer, printer or server that is connected to a network.
Ethernet A LAN specification developed jointly by Xerox, Intel and Digital
Equipment Corporation. Ethernet networks use CSMA/CD to transmit
packets at a rate of 10Mbps over a variety of cables.
Ethernet address See MAC address.
Fast Ethernet An Ethernet system that is designed to operate at 100Mbps.
FastIP A system that uses GVRP to reduce the load on routing devices in
networks that have large amounts of inter-VLAN traffic.
forwarding The process of sending a packet toward its destination using a
networking device.