Usually a statistical multiplexer, or concentrator, is used to focus channel inputs on to the composite ink by removing the portions of the transmission carrying no data. Concentrator - A central chassis into which various modules, such as bridging, supervisory, 10BaseT and other peripheral cards are plugged. The transport of packets of information from one network node to a destination node following an established network connection. The transport of a single datagram or packet of information from one network node to a destination node or multiple nodes without establishing a network connection. Contention - The process whereby multiple users make requests for transmission bandwidth across a transmission link but the pool of bandwidth is less than the aggregate amount of bandwidth the users could request between them.
Contention is used to resolve which users gain access to the bandwidth.
When this s applied to multiplexers, it is concerned with the multiplexer's ability to allow a number of channels to contend for transmission bandwidth that is less than the sum of all the channel rates. Control point - A program that manages an APPN network node and its resources, enabling communications to other control points in the network. Converter - A repeater that also converts from one media type to another, such as from fiber to copper. Often called a media adapter. A CRC for a block of data is calculated before it is sent, and is then sent along with the data.