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G
LOSSARY
Fast Ethernet
100 Mbps technology based on the 10BASE-T Ethernet
network protocol.
full-duplex
Communication setup in which a device or line transmits
data simultaneously in both directions (the PC is sending
and receiving data at the same time).
half-duplex
Communication setup in which a device or line transmits
data in only one direction at a time.
hub
Device that serves as the central location for attaching
wires from workstations. A hub can be passive, when there
is no amplication of the signals; or active, when it is used
like a repeater to provide an extension of the cable that
connects to a workstation.
network
Group of computers and other associated devices, such as
printers, fax machines, and modems, that are connected to
one another so they can share resources and information.
network driver optimization
Driver option that specifies how to optimize performance
of the network driver for your environment.
network operating system (NOS)
System software that runs on the network’s file server, with
a smaller component that runs on each device attached to
the network. Examples of client/server NOSs include Novell
NetWare and Microsoft NT. Examples of peer-to-peer NOSs
include Windows 95 and Windows 98.
NDIS
Network Driver Interface Specification. Defines the network
driver architecture and interfaces that let a PC support
NICs. This architecture provides a standardized way to write
drivers for network NICs.
