3Com AccessBuilder 500 User Manual - page 104

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 C: 

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ASCII

 American Standard Code for Information Interchange, a 

standard that defines the values that are used for letters, numbers, and 

symbols.

Attenuation

 The progressive degradation of a signal as it travels 

through a cable.

AUI

 Attachment user interface, the interface between the unit and the 

data terminal equipment, usually in the form of a connecting cable.

B Channel

 A digital data communications channel running at 64 Kbps. 

The basic rate ISDN 2 service carries two B channels plus one control D 

channel. Refer to 

ISDN

 and 

D Channel

.

Backbone

 A network cabling segment that interconnects a group of 

network segments or systems.

Bandwidth

 The capacity of data communications system or channel.

Baseband

 A communication technique in which network cable is 

used to carry a single stream of data at a time.

Baud

 A unit of signalling speed equal to the number of signalling 

events in one second.

Bit

 Either of the digits 0 or 1 when used in the binary numeration 

system. Eight bits equals a single byte.

Bridge

 A device that links two or more local or remote area networks 

together. A bridge may be used to extend the network or to connect 

two different network transport technologies together.

Broadband

 A communications technique in which network cabling is 

used to carry multiple streams of data simultaneously.

Broadcast Storm

 A rare event in which broadcast frames are 

propagated endlessly through the network because poorly configured 

bridge and router connections.