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How Parallel Tasking
Maximizes Performance in
Ethernet Environments
For premium performance, without a
price premium, choose an adapter
based on 3Com’s patented Parallel
Tasking architecture.
All Fast EtherLink and EtherLink III
adapters include Parallel Tasking, the
third generation in Ethernet adapter
technology. 3Com’s exclusive Parallel
Tasking technology incorporates
several innovations that improve your
network’s data throughput.
First it overlaps, or pipelines,
processing tasks to speed data
transmission and reception. For
example, a Fast EtherLink or
EtherLink III adapter begins writing
the first portion of a data frame onto
the wire before it has completed
reading it from PC memory.
Secondly, Parallel Tasking continually
adjusts the timing of interrupts to
eliminate the lag that slows down
other adapters. Thirdly, Fast EtherLink
and EtherLink III adapters automati-
cally tune and optimize themselves
for their operating environments,
resulting in maximum performance
within any system configuration.
By standardizing on Fast EtherLink
and EtherLink III adapters, you can
deliver dramatic performance advan-
tages to network users throughout
your organization. Implement Parallel
Tasking architecture on PCs with ISA,
PCI, EISA, MCA, or PC Card buses.
Improve throughput on virtually any
Fast Ethernet or Ethernet network—
whether it is running a NetWare,
®
Windows, or UNIX
®
operating system,
whether it is connected by thin coax
or twisted-pair cabling. Wherever you
want peak performance for an afford-
able price, plug in a Fast EtherLink or
EtherLink III adapter.
Parallel Tasking architecture is
implemented on all Fast EtherLink
and EtherLink III adapters as a single
ASIC. By reducing the number of
adapter components, 3Com’s ASIC
design delivers higher-performance
adapters with greater reliability,
lower prices, and unmatched value.
Fast EtherLink and EtherLink III
adapters consistently outperform
other vendors’ Ethernet adapters, as
shown in independent tests conduct-
ed by LANQuest Labs and PC
Magazine, as well as other third-
party benchmarks. For a copy of
Parallel Tasking test results, call
1-800-NET-3Com in the United States,
or your local 3Com office or reseller.
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Parallel Tasking, a unique 3Com-
developed architecture, can more
than double data throughput speed.
Start to Finish:
Parallel Tasking
is Faster
