Configuration parameters

Framing type

The type of ``framing'' performed by the network adapter driver determines the format which the network adapter hardware uses to transmit data across the physical network. You must change the framing type defined for a protocol stack if you reconfigure a network segment to use a different framing type, or if you move a machine to a network segment on which a different framing type is in use.

The framing type is determined by an option for the networking protocol being used. See ``Advanced TCP/IP configuration parameters'' for details.

The following framing types may be supported depending on the chosen networking architecture (Ethernet, Token Ring, or Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI)) and the networking protocol:

IEEE 802.2

This framing type conforms to the IEEE 802.3 MAC and IEEE 802.2 LLC standards. It may be supported by FDDI media.

IEEE 802.3 (raw)

This framing type is now considered obsolete, and should only be used if compatibility is required on an existing subnet.

Ethernet II

The Ethernet II framing type, defined in RFC 894, is also referred to as DIX Ethernet, XEROX PARC Ethernet, or traditional Ethernet. Most TCP/IP Ethernet-based networks use this framing type. It may also be supported by FDDI media.

NOTE: Ethernet II framing differs from IEEE 802.3 MAC framing in the use of the final two-byte field of the 14-byte frame header. Ethernet II uses this field to identify the type of data that follows it in the frame. IEEE 802.3 uses the field to indicate the length of the frame in bytes up to the trailing cyclic redundancy check (CRC). For this reason, machines which expect to see different frame types will not be able to communicate successfully with each other on the same network segment.

Ethernet I is not supported.

Ethernet SNAP

Ethernet SNAP framing conforms to the IEEE 802.3 MAC, IEEE 802.2 LLC, and IEEE 802.2 SNAP standards.

Token-Ring

The Token-Ring framing type conforms to the IEEE 802.5 MAC and IEEE 802.2 LLC standards.

Token-Ring SNAP

Token-Ring SNAP framing conforms to the IEEE 802.5 MAC, IEEE 802.2 LLC, and IEEE 802.2 SNAP standards. SNAP framing is most commonly used with Token Ring-based networks.