3Com Corp. builds on Fast Ethernet leadership; 3Com extends its premier line of Fast EtherLink XL network interface cards and DynamicAccess features to 100BASE-T4.SANTA CLARA Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 1997--The global leader in Fast Ethernet An earlier name for 100Mbps Ethernet. See 100Base-T. (networking) Fast Ethernet - A version of Ethernet developed in the 1990s(?) which can carry 100 Mbps compared with standard Ethernet's 10 Mbps. It requires upgraded network cards and hubs. , 3Com Corp. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :COMS COMS 3Com Corporation (stock symbol) COMS Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist COMS Continuous Opacity Monitoring Systems COMS City of Manchester Stadium (UK) ), today announced first shipments of its Fast EtherLink XL 10/100BASE-T4 PCI (1) (Payment Card Industry) See PCI DSS. (2) (Peripheral Component Interconnect) The most widely used I/O bus (peripheral bus). network interface card which enables a Fast Ethernet connection across category 3, 4, or 5 Unshielded Twisted Pair See twisted pair. (hardware) unshielded twisted pair - (UTP) Normal telephone wire (in the USA). It may be used for computer to computer communications, e.g. using a version of Ethernet or localtalk. It is much cheaper than standard "full-spec" Ethernet cable. (UTP UTP (uridine triphosphate): see uracil. (Unshielded Twisted Pair) See twisted pair. UTP - unshielded twisted pair ) cable. The Fast EtherLink XL T4 network interface card is the newest member of 3Com's industry-leading family of XL interface cards that include the Fast EtherLink XL 10/100BASE-TX and EtherLink XL 10Mbps network interface cards and the Fast EtherLink XL CardBus PC Card. These XL cards offer the highest performance available at 10 and 100 Mbps, as well as 3Com's advanced DynamicAccess software features which bring intelligence to the edge of the network by making 3Com network interface cards active network components that interact with other parts of the network to optimize network performance and control. "As the leader in Fast Ethernet NICs with the most complete and scalable enterprise-wide product line available today, 3Com is uniquely positioned to drive the growth of the Fast Ethernet market," said Rakefet Kasdin, vice president and general manager of 3Com's Ethernet Products Division. "By enabling Fast Ethernet connections across all types of UTP cable and to both desktops and notebooks, 3Com continues to make high-speed connections more flexible to meet customers' needs." Benefits of 100BASE-T4 Technology 3Com's 100BASE-T4 NICs enable full 100 Mbps connectivity across all major types of UTP cabling, eliminating compatibility issues and additional cost usually associated with replacing older category 3 and 4 UTP cable. Fast Ethernet connections using 100BASE-TX require newer, category 5 UTP cable. However, users should test their category 5 cable to ensure its quality and ability to pass 100 Mbps. This allows users to determine whether they require TX or T4 NICs. The Fast EtherLink XL T4 network interface card should be installed when users have legacy cable, low quality category 5 cable, or a combination of legacy cable and new cable. This will preempt pre·empt or pre-empt v. pre·empt·ed, pre·empt·ing, pre·empts v.tr. 1. To appropriate, seize, or take for oneself before others. See Synonyms at appropriate. 2. a. cabling problems that may be encountered when the 100 Mbps capability is enabled, allowing legacy cable users to reap the benefits of high-performance Fast Ethernet connections easily and affordably. Highest Performance and Efficiency The Fast EtherLink XL T4 network interface card has the same performance and features as the XL 100BASE-TX network interface cards, leveraging 3Com's patented Parallel Tasking technology as well as 3Com's Interactive Access technology to deliver high throughput rates with minimum CPU CPU in full central processing unit Principal component of a digital computer, composed of a control unit, an instruction-decoding unit, and an arithmetic-logic unit. utilization. 3Com's Parallel Tasking architecture allows separate data transfer tasks to be completed in parallel so data is transferred with maximum efficiency. Interactive Access technology allows the XL NICs to constantly evaluate network traffic and load conditions and intelligently decide on the best timing of transmission required to optimize network performance. The Fast EtherLink XL T4 network interface card also has auto-negotiation for auto-sensing 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps connections, and AutoLink software support for automatic installation of client drivers for major network operating systems. DynamicAccess Features DynamicAccess features on the Fast EtherLink XL T4 network interface card include PACE class of service technology to prioritize multimedia and business-critical applications, and Distributed RMON (Remote MONitoring) Enhancements to the management information base (MIB) structure used by the simple network management protocol (SNMP). In 1991, RMON added comprehensive network monitoring capabilities. (dRMON) software that leverages the NIC (1) (Network Interface Card) See network adapter. See also InterNIC. (2) (New Internet Computer) An earlier Linux-based computer from The New Internet Computer Company (NICC), Palo Alto, CA. to enhance RMON coverage in switched and 100 Mbps environments. Also included is the new, easy to use, Windows-based installation and diagnostic software; as well as expanded software driver support for unmatched compatibility with standard operating systems Operating systems can be categorized by technology, ownership, licensing, working state, usage, and by many other characteristics. In practice, many of these groupings may overlap. . Future DynamicAccess software releases will include Fast IP and IEEE 802.1p IEEE 802.1p is a standard that provides traffic class expediting and dynamic multicast filtering. Essentially, it provides a mechanism for implementing Quality of Service (QoS) at the MAC (Media Access Control) level. Efficient Multicast Control. DynamicAccess features are part of 3Com's TranscendWare software, which enables MIS management and service providers to specify the behavior of their networks with pre-defined policies according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. business needs and to automatically deliver individual users increased level of desired services and performance. TranscendWare software runs on all 3Com hardware products for end systems, edge systems and core systems. 3Com's Complete T4 Solution The Fast EtherLink XL 10/100BASE-T4 PCI network interface card, connected to four pairs of wires, can be combined with 3Com's SuperStack II Hub 100 T4, providing customers with a complete end-to-end 100BASE-T4 solution. The SuperStack II Hub 100 T4 is part of 3Com's industry-leading SuperStack II family of products, the SuperStack II Hub 100 T4 is stackable up to eight units to form a single logical repeater. The stack can consist of a mixture of SuperStack II Hub 100 T4 and SuperStack II Hub 100 TX products. The SuperStack II Hub 100 T4 provides 12 100BASE-T4 Fast Ethernet ports with an optional 100BASE-TX or 100BASE-FX port, integrating all types of Fast Ethernet connections into a single robust and manageable system. Pricing and Availability The 10/100BASE-T4 Fast EtherLink XL PCI network interface card will be available the first week in April for as low as $149 (U.S. list) in packs of 20; single units and packs of five are also available. The SuperStack II Hub 100 T4 is available for as low as $199 per port (U.S. list). The Fast EtherLink XL cards and the SuperStack II Hub 100 T4 integrate into 3Com's enterprise-wide Fast Ethernet solution currently shipping. These products include: the Fast EtherLink XL CardBus PC Card and Fast EtherLink 16-Bit PC Card; Fast EtherLink XL PCI, Fast EtherLink EISA (Extended ISA) Pronounced "ee-suh." A PC bus standard that extends the 16-bit ISA bus (AT bus) to 32 bits and provides bus mastering. ISA cards can plug into an EISA slot. and ISA (1) (Instruction Set Architecture) See instruction set. (2) (Interactive Services Association) See Internet Alliance. (3) (Internet Security and Acceleration) See .NET. network interface cards; SuperStack II Hub 100 TX and management unit, SuperStack II Switch 1000 and 3000 Fast Ethernet switches, CoreBuilder 2500, 5000, 6000 and 7600 switches, and NETBuilder II router. Together 3Com's NICs, hubs and switches comprise leadership in affordability, functionality and marketshare for the network edge. 3Com Corp. has helped more than 50 million people gain access to critical information through high-speed networks. Designed to serve large enterprises, service providers, small offices and homes, 3Com products provide scalable architecture to meet the connectivity needs of today's users. With research and development on three continents, 3Com is one of the data networking industry's largest and fastest growing companies. The company's innovative engineering, manufacturing, marketing, sales and support simplify communications, optimize network reliability and protect customer investments. For further information visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at http://www.3com.com or call 800/NET-3COM. -0- Note to editors: 3Com, EtherLink, NetBuilder and Parallel Tasking are registered trademarks of 3Com Corp. and CoreBuilder, DynamicAccess, PACE, SuperStack and TranscendWare are trademarks of 3Com Corp. All other trademarks belong to their respective organizations. CONTACT: 3Com Public Relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most Deanna L. Perez, 408/764-5088 Deanna_Perez@3mail.3Com.com |
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