Network Card User Manual

G LOSSARY
Glossary-2
Bandwidth
The difference between the highest and lowest frequencies available for network
signals. Also synonymous with wire speed, the actual speed of the data
transmission along the cable.
Collision
A condition in which packets transmitted over the cable interfere with each other.
Their interference makes both signals unintelligible.
Collision Domain
Single CSMA/CD LAN segment.
Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)
Terminating equipment, such as terminals, phones, and routers installed at
customer sites and connected to the service provider’s company network.
CSMA/CD
CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detect) is the
communication method employed by Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, or Gigabit
Ethernet.
End Station
A workstation, server, or other device that does not forward traffic.
Ethernet
A network communication system developed and standardized by DEC, Intel, and
Xerox, using baseband transmission, CSMA/CD access, logical bus topology, and
coaxial cable. The successor IEEE 802.3 standard provides for integration into the
OSI model and extends the physical layer and media with repeaters and
implementations that operate on fiber, thin coax, and twisted-pair cable.
Fast Ethernet
A 100 Mbps network communication system based on Ethernet and the CSMA/
CD access method.