Please choose from the following:
In the twenty years since Ethernet was developed, PC processing
power has increased exponentially and the size of software applications
and data files have dramatically increased. Realizing the Ethernet
ten megabit per second (10Mbps) standard has not kept pace with
these developments, networking vendors, in conjunction with the
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, developed a
new Ethernet standard that increases Ethernet data transmission
to 100Mbps. The new standard has come to be known as Fast Ethernet.
Fast Ethernet uses the same Carrier Sense Multiple Access with
Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) media access method as 10Mbps Ethernet.
This makes the migration from standard Ethernet to Fast Ethernet
fairly straight-forward for network administrators and resellers
alike. A network can be upgraded to Fast Ethernet by simply replacing
Ethernet adapters and hubs with their high-speed counterparts.
Fast Ethernet can be deployed into a new or existing network in
a variety of ways depending on the bandwidth requirements of network
users. As one such implementation of Fast Ethernet is the construction
of high speed network backbones.
Fast Ethernet Backbone
Fast Ethernet is also ideal for users who send or receive large
data files such as graphical images, CAD drawings, etc.
Fast Ethernet workgroup
With Fast Ethernet's higher bandwidth come cabling requirements
that are more stringent than standard Ethernet. To make the migration
to Fast Ethernet as easy as possible, different cabling implementations
have been developed and standardized to allow for Fast Ethernet
transmission over various installed cable.
100BASE-T4 Category 3, 4, 5 or better 4
Unshielded Twisted Pair
100BASE-FX Fiber Optic Cable NA
The goal of both these implementations is to avoid the trouble
and expense of pulling new cable when making the migration to
Fast Ethernet. 100BASE-TX proponents claim that most new installations
have Category 5 cable in place which is true. Much of the existing
media, however, does not meet "Cat-5" certification
due the use of items like cable connectors and patch panels which
do not meet Category 5 standards.
100BASE-T4 proponents claim that their products work with existing
Category 3, 4 and 5 cable. However, in many cases only two pairs
of wire are available because the remaining two pairs are often
allocated to the user's telephone. The relatively few proponents
of 100BASE-FX advocate using fiber optic media which provides
great security, transmission length and migration to future standards
but at costs many times that of twisted pair media. Therefore,
100BASE-FX is gernerally used as the backbone media for larger
campus LANs where distance and security are an issue.
Many users find that installation of new cabling is required when
migrating to any implementation of Fast Ethernet. An incremental
approach such as migrating a backbone or high-performance segment
prior to migrating an entire network may be a more cost-effective
strategy for most users.
Kingston's Fast Ethernet adapter is designed to address the high
performance networking needs of the majority of network users.
The EtheRx PCI 10/100 100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet Adapter is based
on industry-leading Digital Semiconductor Fast Ethernet controller
technology. It uses Bus-Mastering DMA to optimize throughput while
maintaining low CPU utilization. The EtheRx PCI 10/100 also supports
full-duplex operation in both 100Mbps and 10Mbps mode. Because
it can be configured for 100Mbps or 10Mbps operation, the EtheRx
PCI 10/100 allows users to install the product in existing 10Mbps
station and be ready to upgrade the network moves to 100Mbps operation.
The Kingston adapter has a single RJ-45 interface and N-Way technology
that allows the adapter to automatically negotiate between transfer
rates.
Working closely with Digital, Kingston has developed a comprehensive
set of drivers: ODI, NDIS 2 NDIS 3 Packet Drivers, LLI, MDI and
Macintosh drivers that support all popular Network Operating Systems
including Novell Netware, Microsoft Windows, Windows 95 and Windows
NT, DEC Pathworks, Banyan VINES, SCO UNIX and Apple System 7.
EtheRx PCI 10/100 adapters feature QStart, Kingston's easy to
use, GUI-based installation, configuration and diagnostics program
that makes adapter installation virtually automatic.
Like all Kingston networking products, EtheRx PCI 10/100 adapters
feature industry-leading price performance: with a suggested retail
price of less than $140 and throughput greater than 88Mbps, Fast
EtheRx adapters are an ideal choice for high speed networking
requirements.
The Kingston EtheRx PCI 10/100 Fast Ethernet adapter features automatic
line speed selection for 10 Mbps or 100Mbps operation. The Bus-Mastering
design optimizes throughput while maintaining low CPU utilization. And
QStart, Kingston's unique GUI, configuration and diagnostic program, makes
Network Operating System configuration virtually automatic.
The EtheRx PCI 10/100 adapter allows you the flexibility of 10Mbps operation
today and 100Mbps
upgradability for the future.
System Supported: 32-Bit PCI Local Bus
Network Adapters: KNE100TX RJ-45/ Unshielded Twisted-Pair
Cable Type Supported: Unshielded Twisted-Pair (UTP)AWG 22,24,26
Data Wire Grade: 10Mbps CAT 3,4, or 5
100Mbps CAT 5 or better
Operating Distance: 328' (100 m) maximum hub to node length
Data Transfer/Bus Width/Bus Type: Bus Master DMA/32 bit/PCI Bus
Diagnostic LEDs: Link, Transmit, Receive and 100Mbps
IRQ Settings: INTA (set by PCI BIOS)
I/O Base Addresses: 0000h-FFFFh (set by PCI BIOS)
Software Compatibility: Novell Netware v3.x, 4.x, Netware Lite,
Personal Netware, Microsoft LAN Manager,
Window95, Windows For Workgroups v3.1, 3.11,
Windows NTTM v3.1, 3.5, 3.51, OS/2 Warp,
DEC Pathworks, Banyan VINES,
Artisoft LANtastic v5.x, 6.x, SCO UNIX,
FTP PC/TCP software.
EMI: FCC Class B, CE
Warranty: Lifetime
The drivers for the KNE100TX are located in the
EtheRx Download Area.
Adapter A device that connects to the expansion slot of
a system and allows additional system functionality i.e. hardware
connection to LAN media.
ATM-Asynchronous Transfer Mode A packet based, broadband
technology for transmitting voice, video, and data over LANs or
WANs. Transmission is specified for either 25Mbps or 155Mbps.
Baseband A transmission method where the entire line is
used as a single channel for transmission.
Bridges An internetworking device that provides a communication
pathway between two or more network segments or subnetworks.
Bus Topology A network architecture using thin coaxial
cable as a single cable trunk that connects one workstation to
the next in a daisy-chain configuration.
Coax A common term of Coaxial Cable
Coaxial Cable A multilayered type of cable commonly used
in Ethernet 10BASE2 and 10BASE5 LANs.
Concentrators A device that provides a central point of
connection of terminal, computer, or communication devices.
CSMA/CD- Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection
The network access control method used in Ethernet.
Enterprise Wide A term used to describe an organization's
information infrastructure encompassing both local and wide area
networks.
Ethernet Networking system originally developed by DEC,
Intel and Xerox. Ethernet has 10Mbps throughput and uses a carrier-sensing
access method in which workstations share a network cable, but
only one can use the cable at a time.
Fast Ethernet IEEE standard for High speed 100Mbps Ethernet.
Fiber Optic A type of cable typically used for high speed,
enterprise wide LANs that consists of fiber optic strands.
Hub A generic term for the central point of connection
for the wires from workstations and nodes.
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers,
the standards body that creates the Networking specifications.
LAN A common abbreviation of Local Area Network
Local Area Network A system of hardware and software
connected by a common media that allows for sharing and or transferring
data between computing devices
Media That which acts to connect the various hardware components
that make up a LAN. Media largely refers to the cable or wires
in a typical wired LAN, but can also be a radio frequency or a
segment of the color spectrum in the case of wireless LANs.
Network Interface Card A specific type of adapter that
allows for hardware connection to LAN media.
NIC A common abbreviation for Network Interface Card.
Node Any computing device (i.e. PC, printer or scanner)
connected to a LAN.
NOS-Network Operating System. The software required by
the network to control the transmission of data.
Peer-to-Peer A network architecture where all machines
have equal status. All stations can access data stored in all
other workstations.
Print Server A specific type of LAN hardware that allows
for connection of a printer to LAN media.
Repeaters A device that regenerates network signals so
that they can travel further, extending the cable length.
Routers A device used to interconnect networks over local
or wide areas and provide traffic control and filtering functions.
Shielded Twisted Pair A type of LAN cabling containing
eight wires all of which are shielded by an insulating cover.
Commonly used in Token Ring LANs.
Star Topology A network architecture using twisted pair
cabling to provide workstations individual connections back to
a hub providing a single point of connection.
STP A common abbreviation for Shielded Twisted Pair cable.
Telephone Cable A type of cable commonly used in Ethernet
10Base-T and Token Ring LANs. See Unshielded Twisted Pair.
Thick Coaxial A type of coaxial cable used in Ethernet
10BASE5 LANs that is approximately twice the diameter of Thin
Coaxial cable.
Thin Coaxial A type of coaxial cable used in Ethernet 10BASE2
LANs that is approximately half the diameter of Thick Coaxial
cable. Similar in looks to the cable used in cable television
systems.
Token Ring The IEEE standard for a token-passing ring network.
Topology The physical design of a LAN.
Twisted Pair A type of LAN cabling containing either four
or eight wires. Commonly used in Ethernet 10BASE-T and Token Ring
LANs.
Unshielded Twisted Pair A type of LAN cabling containing
eight wires all of which are covered with a thin insulating cover.
Often referred to as telephone wire. Commonly used in Ethernet
10BASE-T and Token Ring LANs.
UTP A common abbreviation for Unshielded Twisted Pair cable.
Workgroup LAN A term used to describe a relatively small
network that connects PC users in a single group or department..
Workstation Any computer (i.e. PC, Macintosh or UNIX system)
connected to a LAN.
10Base2 Ethernet network based on thin coaxial cable.
10Base5 Ethernet network based on thick coaxial cable.
10Base-T Ethernet network based on twisted pair cable.
100BASE-TX Fast Ehternet network based on 2 pair transmission
over catagory 5 or better twisted pair cable.
100BASE-T4 Fast Ethernet network based on 4 pair transmission
over catagory 3,4,5 or better twisted pair cable.
100BASE-FX Fast Ethernet network based on transmission
over Fiber Optic cable.
802.3 IEEE specification for 10Mbps Ethernet.
802.5 IEEE specification for tokenring.
100VGAnyLAN IEEE standard for a competing high speed 100Mbps
transmission, not based on CSMA/CD.
How to contact us, in general.
Part Number and Price
Part Number Description
KNE100TX Single Unit 100BASE-T Adapter
In this example, Fast Ethernet connects the three file servers
together in a high- speed backbone. This high-speed segment is
then connected to the rest of the network via a bridge. The bridge
is then connected to a standard Ethernet hub which in turn connects
the various nodes on the segment. The high-speed backbone prevents
bottlenecks that can arise as multiple users access data from
a common file server. One can think of this arrangement as being
similar to a plumbing system: larger diameter pipes such as the
water main are connected to pipes decreasing in diameter until
finally connected to individual faucets.
In this example, the workgroup segment is connected with Fast
Ethernet which is then connected to the rest of the network via
a bridge or switch. This provides the higher bandwidth that is
required for data intensive file transfers.
IEEE Standard Media Supported Wire Pairs Required
Understanding how this relates to Fast Ethernet implementation
requires a bit of information on cable constructions. Twisted
pair cables consist of eight separate copper wires which are commonly
referred to in terms of pairs (four pairs per cable). Twisted
pair cable is graded by category number: the higher the number
the lower the capacitance and cross-talk, resulting in higher
potential transmission rate. Category 5 cable is capable of handling
100Mbps transmissions with only two of the available four pairs
of wires. Category-3 cable, which is the cable type in place in
most existing Ethernet networks, requires all four pairs for 100Mbps
transmission.
100BASE-TX Category 5, or better 2
Unshielded Twisted Pair
Technical Specification
Overview
Specifications
Network Interface Standard: IEEE 802.3i 10BASE-T Ethernet Statndard
IEEE 802.3u 100BASE-TX Standard
Drivers for EtheRx Network Adapters
Please Note:
If you go to the EtheRx Download Area, you will be taken out of this document.
To return to it, use the Back button at the top of your browser.
Impediment Homepage
E-mail requests for quotes and information:sales@impediment.com
E-mail other comments and questions:webmaster@impediment.com
© Copyright 1994-1996, Impediment Incorporated