This
page describes IEEE 802.3 Ethernet types and how the ViewStation uses
them.
The name Ethernet covers the generic "Ethernet" as well
as the specific IEEE 802.3 standard Ethernet. These are not the same
logical interface. The IEEE 802.3 interface uses a different header
packet format (Ethernet using one field as a packet type rather than
packet length as used in the IEEE 802.3 interface). This difference in
packet format makes the two interfaces incompatible.
IEEE 802.3 Ethernet is becoming more common and is often used
on IBM RS6000 host computers. Users may not be aware of these
differences because of the informal usage of the name "Ethernet". The
difference may only appear when you connect to a device which doesn't
support the other Ethernet type and find it doesn't communicate
correctly.
The HDS ViewStation automatically detects both Ethernet and
IEEE 802.3 packets and communicates with the interface with packets of
the proper type. When the ViewStation first connects to a host on its
Ethernet, it sends two packets, one in Ethernet format and one in IEEE
802.3 format. Based on which packet format is used by the host for the
reply, the ViewStation uses that interface format. This is the Network
Type field in the Ethernet menu, with Auto-sense mode as the default
setting for the ViewStation. You can also specifically select the
interface type.
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