Introduction - 3Com 3C 19250 Guía De Referencia

Dua19250.fm Page 4 Wednesday, November 11, 1998 10:26 AM
I
NTRODUCTION
What You Can Find in this Guide
®
The guide describes the 3Com
Interface. It includes information on using the USB Network Interface
and advice for solving any problems that occur during installation and
use.
Installing the USB Network Interface is described in the Installation
Guide, part number DIA1925-0AAA01.
What is the 3Com USB Network Interface?
The 3Com USB Network Interface takes the benefits and simplicity of
USB and allows you to connect your PC to a network. Creating a
network, by connecting PCs and other devices together with cables,
allows the equipment to communicate and share information and
resources. In particular, you can:
share expensive peripherals such as printers
pass data between users without the use of floppy disks
centralize your key computer programs
easily create backups of critical files
There are various network technologies, the most common being
Ethernet. An Ethernet network transfers information at a speed of
10 megabits per second (Mbps) using Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)
cabling. UTP is the specification of cable that you need for this type of
network.
USB (Universal Serial Bus) Network
The LINK and ACTIVITY LEDs located on the 3Com USB Network
Interface give immediate indication of operating state and possible
problems. See "LEDs" on page 5, and "Problem Solving" on page 8.
What is USB?
The USB port located on the back of most modern PCs, lets you enjoy
true Plug and Play convenience when you start to expand your range
of computer equipment. It makes the process of adding new
peripheral equipment such as printers, modems, scanners, digital
cameras and game controls as easy as connecting a telephone to a
socket. With USB, you can install and remove your peripheral
equipment without having to remove the case of your PC and without
even having to switch the power off.
USB ports and connectors are industry-standard which means they are
all the same from product to product and from manufacturer to
manufacturer. This means you no longer have to worry about
matching ports and your PC with the correct cabling. With USB, you
know it will fit!
How Does USB Work?
USB uses the processors inside your PC to sense when a piece of
equipment is attached to the port. The Windows 98 operating system
installed on your PC supports USB and uses intelligence to determine
which software is needed to correctly operate attached equipment.
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