User guide

Chapter 1: Introduction
Page 1-6 Fast Network 100 User Guide
To dynamically arbitrate between 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps on each port,
the FN100 employs IEEE 802.3u Auto-Negotiation. Auto-Negotiation
allows each 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX port on the FN100 to
self-configure to 100 Mbps when the device on the other end of the wire is
also capable of self-configuration to 100 Mbps. This is performed
automatically via information exchanged between devices sharing the
same link without management intervention. The FN100 also provides the
ability to disable Auto-Negotiation if desired, locally or through remote
management.The FN100 is fully SNMP compliant for comprehensive
monitoring and control by all popular network management systems.
Finally, the FN100 has LEDs for each port indicating link, transmit
activity, receive activity, collisions, and port speeds (10/100 Mbps).
1.4.1 OSI Compliance
The Open System Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model, developed by
the International Standards Organization (ISO), identifies the levels of
functionality inherent in each of its seven layers. The FN100 operates at
the Media Access Control (MAC) sub-layer of the Data Link layer.
Figure 1-5 shows the OSI Reference Model.
Figure 1-5 OSI Reference Model
Because the FN100 does not process any Network Layer information, it
provides a high level of performance in terms of packet throughput. In
addition, the FN100 does not need to learn network topology, requiring
less programming and configuration time.
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Application
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Transport
Network
Data Link
Physical
FN100 operates at Layer 2