The Network Terminal Accelerator is a unique Ethernet interface adapter that provides host connectivity, increased terminal throughput, and faster response time. There are two models of the Network Terminal Accelerator. The Network Terminal Accelerator-256 supports up to 256 concurrent sessions. The Network Terminal Accelerator-2048 supports up to 2048 concurrent sessions. Both models provide the same functions, with the exception of the number of sessions supported.
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The Network Terminal Accelerator is a high-performance, single-port Ethernet adapter with associated software and firmware. The adapter reduces the demand on a host computer's processing resources for TCP/IP, Telnet, and rlogin communication protocols. With this adapter, the host CPU is freed to do more processing on user applications. The adapter accomplishes this by performing most of the communication protocols on the adapter using a powerful processor. TCP/IP, Telnet, rlogin, and Ethernet MAC-layer protocols have all been offloaded to the adapter from the host CPU, allowing the host CPU to use the adapter as a simple, efficient serial multiplexer.
The adapter also provides the host workstation with a standard Ethernet interface for applications that do not use rlogin and Telnet protocols. With this capability, the adapter provides an interface for all Ethernet communications, while increasing the number of Telnet and rlogin protocol users the host can support.
There are two adapter feature codes available. Feature code 2402 supports up to 256 concurrent Telnet and rlogin user sessions. This option has 2MB of local memory on the adapter. Feature code 2403 supports up to 2048 concurrent Telnet and rlogin user sessions and has 8MB of local memory on the adapter.
This adapter does not take the place of a network's existing TCP/IP or Ethernet adapter. Instead, the adapter coexists with the existing network space.
This section discusses the following: