Glossary
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cost Also known as path cost, an arbitrary value, based on hop count, bandwidth, or
another calculation, that is typically assigned by a network administrator and used by the
routing protocol to compare different routes through an internetwork. Routing protocols use
cost values to select the best path to a certain destination: the lowest cost identifies the best
path. Also known as “path cost.” See also: routing metric.
count to infinity A problem occurring in routing algorithms that are slow to converge
where routers keep increasing the hop count to particular networks. To avoid this problem,
various solutions have been implemented into each of the different routing protocols. Some
of those solutions include defining a maximum hop count (defining infinity), route poising,
poison reverse, and split horizon.
CPCS Common Part Convergence Sublayer: One of two AAL sublayers that is service
dependent, it is further segmented into the CS and SAR sublayers. The CPCS prepares data
for transmission across the ATM network; it creates the 48-byte payload cells that are sent
to the ATM layer. See also: AAL and ATM layer.
CPE Customer premises equipment: Items such as telephones, modems, and terminals
installed at customer locations and connected to the service provider network.
crankback In ATM, a correction technique used when a node somewhere on a chosen path
cannot accept a connection setup request, blocking the request. The path is rolled back to an inter-
mediate node, which then uses GCAC to attempt to find an alternate path to the final destination.
CRC Cyclic redundancy check: A methodology that detects errors, whereby the frame recip-
ient makes a calculation by dividing frame contents with a prime binary divisor and compares
the remainder to a value stored in the frame by the sending node. Contrast with: checksum.
crossover cable Type of Ethernet cable that connects a switch to switch, host to host, hub
to hub, or switch to hub.
CSMA/CD Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection: A technology defined by
the Ethernet IEEE 802.3 committee. Each device senses the cable for a digital signal before
transmitting. Also, CSMA/CD allows all devices on the network to share the same cable, but
one at a time. If two devices transmit at the same time, a frame collision will occur and a jam-
ming pattern will be sent; the devices will stop transmitting, wait a predetermined as well as
a self-imposed random amount of time, and then try to transmit again.
CSU Channel service unit: A digital mechanism that connects end-user equipment to the local
digital telephone loop. Frequently referred to along with the data service unit as CSU/DSU. See
also: DSU.
CSU/DSU Channel service unit/data service unit: Physical layer device used in wide area net-
works to convert the CPE digital signals to what is understood by the provider’s switch. A
CSU/DSU is typically one device that plugs into a RJ-45 (8-pin modular) jack, known as the
demarcation point.
CTD Cell Transfer Delay: For a given connection in ATM, the time period between a cell exit
event at the source user-network interface (UNI) and the corresponding cell entry event at the
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