3Com Introduces Full RMON Management for ONcore Multifunction Networking
System

ONcore Advanced Ethernet Network Monitor Card Monitors Multiple Segments
Simultaneously For Comprehensive Network Management

February 12, 1996 - SANTA CLARA, CALIF. - Global data networking leader,
3Com Corporation (NASDAQ:COMS) today unveiled the ONcore Advanced Ethernet
Network Monitor Card (NMC), a cost-effective network management solution
for monitoring multiple backplanes and isolated Ethernet segments from a
single ONcore System. Equipped with the new card, the ONcore System offers
the industry's highest level of remote monitoring (RMON) capability in a
multifunction hub: including full RMON and RMON 2 agents.

This new product is an integral part of 3Com's network monitoring and
analysis solution announced in November 1995. The solution includes
advanced hardware and software that enables users to efficiently and
proactively monitor all elements of their networks as a single system.

Designed for enterprise backbone networks and Ethernet segments, the ONcore
Advanced Ethernet NMC provides high-speed, multi-segment RMON capabilities
for comprehensive enterprise-wide management. The ONcore Advanced Ethernet
NMC offers full RMON (all nine groups) support and RMON 2-like
capabilities today and provides a migration path to the RMON 2 standard
once ratified.

The Advanced NMC, together with 3Com's existing ONcore NMC, provides
customers with a complete range of RMON management solutions. The existing
NMC delivers baseline management and monitoring features, while the
advanced NMC delivers highly scalable monitoring along with packet capture
and filter. Additionally, the new high-performance daughter card can be
housed on any ONcore Ethernet media module or the ONcore's DMM-EC
(Ethernet carrier) - without taking up a payload slot.

"We have a mission-critical network that requires a high level of
monitoring and the new Network Monitor Card has expanded our ability to
manage and monitor our ONcore system," says Bill Bunch, manager of network
services at GTECH, Inc. "Also, its capability of monitoring and managing
more than one network allows us to solve problems more quickly and focus
more time deploying applications that increase employee productivity."

The ONcore Advanced Ethernet NMC offers network managers a new class of
proactive monitoring tools, including the ability to see beyond routers
and capture advanced application layer statistics, enabling them to spend
less time troubleshooting network problems and more time delivering
applications and services to end users.

HOW IT WORKS

The ONcore Advanced Ethernet NMC uses a dedicated high-speed management bus
on the backplane of the ONcore Multifunction Networking System to
communicate with the ONcore Distributed Management Module (DMM). RMON
statistics provide detailed performance information, including network
traffic patterns and error conditions, to identify and isolate potential
problems before disruptions occur. Support for extensive RMON threshold
and alarm capabilities help network managers capture the operating range
for each network, enabling them to pinpoint any necessary changes for fine
tuning network performance.

When equipped with RMON 2 functionality, the new card will enable network
managers to monitor the network up to the application level of the network
protocol stack. The ability to observe application- level traffic provides
vital information about which software applications are running and to
better understand or troubleshoot client/server applications and
environments.

The ONcore Advanced Ethernet NMC provides two network interfaces for
monitoring multiple segments simultaneously from a single console. The
second subport can be used as a roving analysis port for problem
determination on an as-needed basis to help network administrators detect,
isolate and diagnose actual network problems before they escalate to
crisis situations.

SOPHISTICATED TOOLS FOR THE WORKSTATION

3Com's ONcore Advanced Ethernet NMC feeds information to Transcend&#153;
LANsentryR Advanced Network Applications - the LANsentry Enterprise
Traffic Analyzer for end-to-end network monitoring, and LANsentry Traffic
Generator for capacity planning and proactive network management with
3Com's advanced SmartAgentR software. By combining the ONcore Advanced
Ethernet NMC with LANsentry Network Applications, network managers have a
valuable tool for advanced analysis, including centralized troubleshooting
and capture of higher-level statistics. Based on AXON's RMON client
application, LANsentry provides the same familiar interface that 3Com's
Transcend network management application provides for RMON in 3Com
stackable systems, routers and LAN switches.

"The fault-tolerant capabilities of the ONcore system, together with the
proactive alarm capabilities of the ONcore Advanced Ethernet Network Card,
empower network managers to manage their networks with fewer resources,"
said Phil Fulchino, director of integrated systems at 3Com. "The depth of
3Com's RMON implementation in the ONcore System enables our customers to
maximize the capabilities that RMON provides today, while providing a
foundation to the benefits of RMON 2 in the future."

AVAILABILITY

3Com's new ONcore Advanced Ethernet NMC is available immediately.

3Com Corporation has helped more than 25 million people gain access to
critical information through high speed networks. Designed to serve large
enterprises, small offices and homes, 3Com products provide a scalable
architecture to meet the immediate and long-term connectivity needs of
today's user. With research and development on three continents, 3Com is
one of the data networking industry's largest and fastest growing
companies. The company's innovative marketing, sales and support simplify
communication, optimize network reliability and protect customer
investments.
 
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