164 G LOSSARYBOOTP The BOOTP protocol allows you to automatically map an IP address to agiven MAC address each time a device is started. In addition, theprotocol can assign the subnet mask and default gateway to a device.bridge A device that interconnects two LANs of a different type to form asingle logical network that comprises of two network segments.Bridges learn which endstations are on which network segment byexamining the source addresses of packets. They then use thisinformation to forward packets based on their destination address. Thisprocess is known as filtering.broadcast A packet sent to all devices on a network.broadcast storm Multiple simultaneous broadcasts that typically absorb all the availablenetwork bandwidth and can cause a network to fail. Broadcast stormscan be due to faulty network devices.collision A term used to describe two colliding packets in an Ethernet network.Collisions are a part of normal Ethernet operation, but a suddenprolonged increase in the number of collisions can indicate a problemwith a device, particularly if it is not accompanied by a general increasein traffic.CSMA/CD Carrier-sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection. The protocoldefined in Ethernet and IEEE 802.3 standards in which devices transmitonly after finding a data channel clear for a period of time. When twodevices transmit simultaneously, a collision occurs and the collidingdevices delay their retransmissions for a random length of time.endstation A computer, printer or server that is connected to a network.Ethernet A LAN specification developed jointly by Xerox, Intel and DigitalEquipment Corporation. Ethernet networks use CSMA/CD to transmitpackets at a rate of 10Mbps over a variety of cables.Ethernet address See MAC address.Fast Ethernet An Ethernet system that is designed to operate at 100Mbps.forwarding The process of sending a packet toward its destination using anetworking device.
