D-Link DFE-660TX Product Manual - Page 4

DFE-660TX Fast Ethernet PC Card User's Guide its environment. (The autonegotiation function is effective only when the DFE-660TX is connected to the network by a device (switch or hub) which also has autonegotiation functionality.) Inside its compact case, the D-Link DFE-660TX holds an Ethernet controller, network processing interface, a 68-pin PC Card Standard front-end plug which connects to the notebook PC, and a 15-pin back-end receptacle for connecting the media coupler. The DFE-660TX requires no pre-installation setup -- simply insert its front end into the notebook PC's PC-Card slot. The DFE-660TX is supplied with a media coupler which plugs into the back end (15-pin receptacle) of the DFE-660TX. The other end of the media coupler has an RJ-45 receptacle which receives the network cable. The media coupler features LED indicators for linkage and activity states, and for the speed and duplex settings. About Fast Ethernet Fast Ethernet is a network technology specified by IEEE Standard 802.3u. It extends the traditional 10Mbps (10 megabit/sec) Ethernet technology to achieve 100Mbps (100 megabit/sec) transmission and reception. Because Fast Ethernet retains the traditional Ethernet CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense, Multiple Access, Collision Detect) protocol, it remains wholly compatible with 10Mbps Ethernet while providing a tenfold increase in network capacity. The Fast Ethernet standard specifies three subtypes, corresponding to three media types: 100Base-TX (using two twisted pairs in EIA 568 Category 5 UTP or STP cable) 100Base-T4 (using four twisted pairs in a Category 3, Category 4, or Category 5 UTP cable) 2 Introduction