Accton Premieres 100BASE-Tx Adapter at NetWorld + Interop 94

Accton to Demonstrate New Centium-PCI Adapter in Anticipation of Demand for
Fast Ethernet

May 2, 1994 -- LAS VEGAS, Nevada - Accton Technology Corporation will be
showing the first 100BASE-Tx network adapter at this week s NetWorld +
Interop 94 exhibition. The new Centium-PCI network adapter was developed
to be compatible with the proposed 100BASE-Tx standard currently being
reviewed by the Internet Engineering Task Force, as well as conventional
10BASE-T. The San Jose-based workgroups solutions manufacturer is showing
the new prototype technology to illustrate to the market that Accton is
prepared to offer customers a migration path to support the latest
networking technology.

The new Accton Centium-PCI adapter is a half-size PCI adapter with two
network interfaces. The Centium-PCI's RJ-45 interface supports 100 Mbps
Ethernet transmission rates over Category 5 unshielded twisted-pair cable,
and a second RJ-45 interface supports conventional 10BASE-T connections
over Category 3 unshielded twisted-pair cable. The adapter also includes
two LEDs. Main LEDs indicate the port selection and port status (one
dual-color LED for each port), and two additional LEDs are provided to
indicate Tx/Rx for each port.

Since the Centium-PCI adapter uses a PCI interface, it can take advantage
of the Peripheral Components Interconnect (PCI) local bus architecture.
PCI actually matches the bus speed to the host microprocessor, providing
faster throughput rates. For example, data packets can be transferred at
rates from 50 to 100 MHz, depending on the CPU. The PCI architecture is
also independent of the processor, so it can optimize throughput in any
kind of workstation or server, including 486, Pentium Alpha, and
RISC-based computers.

At the last Interop exhibition we displayed our 100BASE-VG adapter. With
the addition of the Centium-PCI 100BASE-Tx card, we are telling the market
that we will be ready with new technology, no matter what the standards
bodies decide, said Swan Chen, General Manager of Accton Technology. The
beauty of this new adapter is that it gives our customers a migration path
from today s 10BASE-T technology to Fast Ethernet. But no matter which
standard the market backs, 100BASE-Tx or 100BASE-VG, we plan to be ready
with compatible Fast Ethernet solutions that deliver the best possible
performance.

The 100BASE-Tx standard is based on a Carrier Sense Multiple Access with
Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) scheme and is being backed by Grand Junction
Networks, Inc., and other vendors. It is currently being reviewed by the
by the IEEE, along with another specification proposal, 4T Plus, which is
a four-pair UTP approach put forth by 3Com Corporation and others. A third
proposal, 100BASE-VG technology was originally developed by AT&T
Microelectronics and Hewlett-Packard Company. All three standards are
being offered to give local area network customers a migration path from
their installed network systems to Fast Ethernet, a 100Mbps transmission
scheme that will extend current Ethernet data transmission speeds beyond
10Mbps.

Accton has already demonstrated that we can deliver the most
cost-competitive 10BASE-T technology in the market, Chen added. We
anticipate being able to extend those same manufacturing efficiencies to
the 100BASE-Tx market. Where other suppliers anticipate that 100BASE-Tx
adapters will cost $500 and up, we plan to deliver our 100BASE-Tx adapters
for less than $300.11

Accton is still testing its 100BASE-Tx Fast Ethernet adapter. Availability
and specific pricing have yet to be established.

Accton Technology Corporation manufactures workgroup connectivity hardware
and software, including a complete product line for Ethernet and
Token-Ring applications. Accton has been ranked as one of the top 10
manufacturers of Ethernet adapters by International Data Corporation, and
the first Ethernet adapter vendor to receive ISO-9001 certification.
Accton Technology Corporation is headquartered at 1962 Zanker Road, San
Jose, CA 95112; telephone (408) 452-8900; FAX: (408) 452-8988.

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