10baset - an ethernet standard that uses twisted wire pairs.

    100basetx - ieee physical layer specification for 100 mbps over two pairs of category 5 utp or stp wire.

    auto mdi/mdi-x - on a network hub or switch, an auto mdi/mdi-x port automatically senses if it needs to act as a mdi or mdi-x port. the auto- mdi/mdi-x capability eliminates the need for crossover cables.

    auto-negotiate - to automatically determine the correct settings. the term is often used with communications and networking. for example, ethernet 10/100 cards, hubs and switches can determine the highest speed of the node they are connected to and adjust their transmission rate accordingly.

    cat 5 - ansi/eia (american national standards institute/electronic industries association) standard 568 is one of several standards that specify “categories” (the singular is commonly referred to as “cat”) of twisted pair cabling systems (wires, junctions, and connectors) in terms of the data rates that they can sustain. cat 5 cable has a maximum throughput of 100 mbps andis usually utilized for 100basetx networks.

    cat 5e - the additional cabling performance parameters of return loss and farend crosstalk (fext) specified for 1000base-t and not specified for 10base-t and 100base-tx are related to differences in the signaling implementation. 10base-t and 100base-tx signaling is unidirectional-signalsare transmitted in one direction on a single wire pair. in contrast, gigabit ethernet is bi-directional-signals are transmitted simultaneously in both directions on the same wire pair; that is, both the transmit and receive pair occupy the same wire pair.

    ethernet - ieee standard network protocol that specifies how data is placed on and retrieved from a common transmission medium. has a transfer rate of 10 mbps. forms the underlying transport vehicle used by several upper-level protocols, including tcp/ip and xns.

    fast ethernet - a 100 mbps technology based on the 10base-t ethernet csma/cd network access method.

    hub - the device that serves as the central location for attaching wires from workstations. can be passive, where there is no amplification of the signals; or active, where the hubs are used like repeaters to provide an extension of the cable that connects to a workstation.

    mbps (megabits per second) - one million bits per second; unit of measurement for data transmission.

    mdi (medium dependent interface) - on a network hub or switch, a mdi port, also known as an uplink port, connects to another hub or switch using a straight-through cable. to connect a mdi port to a computer, use a crossover cable.

    mdi-x (medium dependent interface crossed) - on a network hub or switch, a mdi-x port connects to a computer using a straight-through cable. to connect a mdi-x port to another hub or switch, use a crossover cable.

    network - a system that transmits any combination of voice, video and/or data between users. switch - 1. a data switch connects computing devices to host computers, allowing a large number of devices to share a limited number of ports. 2. a device for making, breaking, or changing the connections in an electrical circuit.

    topology - a network’s topology is a logical characterization of how the devices on the network are connected and the distances between them. the most common network devices include hubs, switches, routers, and gateways. most large networks contain several levels of interconnection, the most important of which include edge connections, backbone connections, and wide-area connections.

    utp - unshielded twisted pair is the most common kind of copper telephone wiring. twisted pair is the ordinary copper wire that connects home and many business computers to the telephone company. to reduce crosstalk or electromagnetic induction between pairs of wires, two insulated copper wires are twisted around each other. each signal on twisted pair requires both wires.

    since some telephone sets or desktop locations require multiple connections, twisted pair is sometimes installed in two or more pairs, all within a single cable.