MicroNet Technology SP648B - Manual (Page 8)

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INTRODUCTION
This chapter describes the features of the 48+4G-Port 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet
Web Smart Switch and some background information about Ethernet/Fast
Ethernet/Gigabit Ethernet switching technology.
Gigabit Ethernet Technology
Gigabit Ethernet is an extension of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet utilizing the same packet
structure, format, and support for CSMA/CD protocol, full duplex, flow control, and
management objects, but with a tenfold increase in theoretical throughput over 100-Mbps
Fast Ethernet and a hundredfold increase over 10-Mbps Ethernet. Since it is compatible
with all 10-Mbps and 100-Mbps Ethernet environments, Gigabit Ethernet provides a
straightforward upgrade without wasting a company’s existing investment in hardware,
software, and trained personnel.
The increased speed and extra bandwidth offered by Gigabit Ethernet is essential to
coping with the network bottlenecks that frequently develop as computers and their busses
get faster and more users use applications that generate more traffic. Upgrading key
components, such as your backbone and servers to Gigabit Ethernet can greatly improve
network response times as well as significantly speed up the traffic between your subnets.
Gigabit Ethernet enables fast optical fiber connections to support video conferencing,
complex imaging, and similar data-intensive applications. Likewise, since data transfers
occur 10 times faster than Fast Ethernet, servers outfitted with Gigabit Ethernet NIC’s are
able to perform 10 times the number of operations in the same amount of time.
In addition, the phenomenal bandwidth delivered by Gigabit Ethernet is the most cost-
effective method to take advantage of today and tomorrow’s rapidly improving switching
and routing internetworking technologies. And with expected advances in the coming
years in silicon technology and digital signal processing that will enable Gigabit Ethernet
to eventually operate over unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cabling, outfitting your network
with a powerful 1000-Mbps-capable backbone/server connection creates a flexible
foundation for the next generation of network technology products.
Fast Ethernet Technology
The growing importance of LANs and the increasing complexity of desktop computing
applications are fueling the need for high performance networks. A number of high-speed
LAN technologies have been proposed to provide greater bandwidth and improve
client/server response times. Among them, 100BASE-T (Fast Ethernet) provides a non-
disruptive, smooth evolution from the current 10BASE-T technology. The non-disruptive
and smooth evolution nature, and the dominating potential market base, virtually
guarantees cost-effective and high performance Fast Ethernet solutions.