3Com 3c17300 Implementation Guide - Page 96

98 GLOSSARY gateway See router. GBIC Gigabit Interface Converter. Gigabit Ethernet IEEE standard 802.3z for 1000 Mbps Ethernet; it is compatible with existing 10/100 Mbps Ethernet standards. half duplex A system that allows packets to transmitted and received, but not at the same time. Contrast with full duplex. hub A device that regenerates LAN traffic so that the transmission distance of that signal can be extended. Hubs are similar to repeaters, in that they connect LANs of the same type; however they connect more LANs than a repeater and are generally more sophisticated. HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol. This is a set of rules for exchanging files (text, graphic images, sound, video, and other multimedia files) on the World Wide Web. IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. This American organization was founded in 1963 and sets standards for computers and communications. IEEE 802.1D A standard that defines the behavior of bridges in an Ethernet network. IEEE 802.1p A standard that defines traffic prioritization. 802.1p is now incorporated into the relevant sections of the IEEE 802.1D/D17 standard. IEEE 802.1Q A standard that defines VLAN tagging. IEEE 802.3x A standard that defines a system of flow control for ports that operate in full duplex. IEEE 802.1w A standard that defines Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) behavior. IETF Internet Engineering Task Force. An organization responsible for providing engineering solutions for TCP/IP networks. In the network management area, this group is responsible for the development of the SNMP protocol. IGMP snooping A mechanism performed by an intermediate device, such as a Layer 2 Switch, that optimizes the flow of multicast traffic. The device listens for IGMP messages and build mapping tables and associated forwarding filters, in addition to reducing the IGMP protocol traffic.