What are my choices for high-speed
networking?
Switched Ethernet
| 100BASE-T | ATM
| Gibabit Ethernet
Switched Ethernet
Switched Ethernet relies on centralized multiport switches
to provide a physical link between multiple LAN segments.
Inside each intelligent switch, high-speed circuitry supports
wire-speed virtual connections between all the segments
for maximum bandwidth allocation on demand. Adding new segments
to a switch increases the aggregate network speed while
reducing overall congestion, so Switched Ethernet provides
superior configuration flexibility. It also gives you an
excellent migration path from 10- to 100-Mbps Ethernet,
since both segments can often operate via the same switch.
Benefits of Switched Ethernet—It’s
a cost-effective technique for increasing the overall network
throughput and reducing congestion on a 10-Mbps network.
Other than the addition of the switching hub, the Ethernet
network remains the same—the same network interface
cards, the same client software, the same LAN cabling.
100BASE-T
100BASE-T retains the familiar CSMA/CD media access technique
used in 10-Mbps Ethernet networks. It also supports a broad
range of cabling options: two standards for twisted pair
and one for fiber. 100BASE-TX supports 2-pair Category 5
UTP or Type 1 STP cable. 100BASE-FX enables fiber optic
links via duplex multimode fiber cable.
Benefits of 100BASE-T—It
retains CSMA/CD, so existing network management systems
don’t need to be rewritten. It can easily be integrated
into existing 10-Mbps Ethernet LANs, so your previous investment
is saved (see Figures 1 and 2).
It’s also backed by hundreds of manufacturers in the
high-speed networking industry, including Black Box!
| 100-Mbps
Ethernet Standards |
|
| |
 |
100BASE-T (IEEE 802.3u) |
|
| Variations
of this Standard |
|
100BASE-TX
100BASE-FX
|
|
| Supported Cable
Type |
|
100BASE-TX |
|
Category 5 (2-Pair) |
|
| 100BASE-FX |
|
Duplex Multimode or Single-Mode
Fiber |
Maximum
Cable Segments
(Hub-to-Node) |
|
100BASE-TX |
|
Category 5—100
m |
|
| 100BASE-FX |
|
Multimode Fiber—2
km
Single-Mode—10 km |
| Best Applications |
|
Backbone using Ethernet
switches to provide increased throughput. Small to medium
workgroups using applications (i.e. CAD, CAM) that output
huge data files. |
|
ATM
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is a cell-based fast-packet
communication technique that supports data-transfer rates
ranging from sub-T1 speeds (less than 1.544 Mbps) up to
10 Gbps.
Like other packet-switching services (Frame Relay, SMDS),
ATM achieves its high speeds in part by transmitting data
in fixed-size cells and dispensing with error-correction
protocols. Instead, it relies on the inherent integrity
of digital lines to ensure data integrity.
Benefits of ATM—Networks
are extremely versatile. An ATM network can be treated as
a single network, whether it connects points in a building
or across the country. Its fixed-length cell-relay operation,
the signaling technology of the future, offers more predictable
performance than variable-length frames. And it can be integrated
into an existing network as needed without having to upgrade
the entire LAN.
Gigabit Ethernet
Like Ethernet and Fast Ethernet before it, Gigabit Ethernet
works with earlier versions of the IEEE 802.3 standard—both
10 and 100 Mbps— although some equipment will need
to be upgraded. The Gigabit Ethernet standard (IEEE 802.3z)
was approved in June 1998, and its speed of 1 Gbps is a
tenfold increase over Fast Ethernet.
There are two basic types of Gigabit Ethernet: shared
and switched. Shared Gigabit Ethernet
is a higher-speed version of 10/100BASE-T using CSMA/CD
Medium Access Control. Switched Gigabit Ethernet uses Logical
Link Control (LLC). Gigabit Ethernet increases frame sizes
from 64 bytes to 512 bytes minimum, and from 1514 bytes
to 9000 bytes maximum.
Benefits of Gigabit Ethernet—It
solves bandwidth problems. Its primary use is for backbones.
The medium is fiber or Category 5e 100-ohm cable.