3Com Etherlink XL PCI TX

3Com Etherlink XL PCI TX ... Tasking II technology and the DynamicAccess software, both of which bring greater performance and intelligence to the NIC.

3Com's patented Parallel Tasking technology (which came with previous models of the Fast EtherLink XL) revolutionized NIC performance by accelerating the speed at which packets are transferred from the network wire to the NIC. Parallel Tasking II technology, designed specifically for PCI, takes 3Com's NIC performance to the next level by improving the speed that data is passed from the NIC to the host PC. This is achieved by exploiting the latest development in PCI chip and bus design. Formerly, a NIC was limited to transferring data across the PCI bus in a maximum of 64 bytes at a time for one bus master operation. In order for one full 1514-byte packet to be transferred to the host PC, 24 separate bus master operations were required, resulting in an inefficient bus. With Parallel Tasking II performance, the NIC can stream up to a full Ethernet packet over the bus during a bus master operation, greatly increasing the efficiency of the PCI bus. The results are faster throughput and improved system performance, which allows desktop and server applications to perform better. DynamicAccess software turns network interface cards into active network components, enabling a true end-to-end solution in which all devices collaborate to create the most manageable, highest-performing networks possible.