Author: Craig Lloyd / Source: howtogeek.com
Not all Ethernet is created equal. These days there are two available standards, Fast Ethernet and Gigabit, which are completely distinct speed interfaces. It’s important to understand the difference between them and which one you should choose.
So there I was shopping for a new Ethernet switch, assuming that all of them were using the latest and greatest technology.
Boy was I wrong—I ended up with a “Fast Ethernet” switch when what I really needed was a “Gigabit Ethernet” switch. Turns out, there’s a huge difference.A Quick Ethernet History Lesson
Ethernet was first introduced to the public in 1980, and it had a max throughput of 10 megabits per second. 15 years later in 1995, an updated version of Ethernet was released. It was called “Fast Ethernet”—sometimes referred to as “10/100”—and it had a throughput of 100 megabits per second.
However, just three years after that, an even newer version was introduced. It was named “Gigabit Ethernet”—or “10/100/1000”— and it is currently the latest standard. Gigabit Ethernet has a maximum throughput of 1,000 megabits (or 1 gigabit) per second, hence the name.
Faster interfaces do exist. A 10 gigabits per second is currently in use, but it has yet to reach widespread use in consumer products. There’s even a 1,000 gigabits per second (Terabit Ethernet) interface currently in development.
Fast Ethernet? More Like “Fast” Ethernet
Most modems and routers these days come with Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. So right off the bat, your home network is already equipped with the latest and greatest that networking speeds have to offer.
The moment you throw a Fast Ethernet device into the mix, your maximum network speed instantly drops by 90%. A previous article of ours sums it up well:“In order to take full advantage of the maximum speeds, all the devices in the transfer chain need to be at or above the speed rating you want. For example, let’s say you have a media server in your basement with a Gigabit Ethernet card installed and a media console in your living room with…
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