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Introduction
3
100Mbps Fast Ethernet Introduction
Computers today have become increasingly powerful, with the capability to
accommodate very sophisticated uses such as multimedia applications, video-
conferencing, and CAD/CAM. To utilize these technologically advanced
applications more efficiently, there is also a growing demand for faster
networks that can handle heavy network traffic.
Recognizing this need for greater bandwidth and lower latency, a variety of
technologies such as FDDI, ATM, and 100Mbps Fast Ethernet have been
adopted by many vendors. 100Mbps Fast Ethernet technology stands out as
the most inexpensive and smoothest migration path for existing 10Mbps
Ethernet users.
100Mbps Fast Ethernet is a relatively new standard specified by the IEEE
802.3 networking standards committee. It is an extension of the 10Mbps
Ethernet standard with the ability to transmit and receive data at 100Mbps,
while maintaining the CSMA/CD Ethernet protocol. Since the 100Mbps Fast
Ethernet is compatible with all other 10Mbps Ethernet environments, it
provides a straightforward upgrade without wasting the company’s existing
investment in hardware, software, and trained personnel.
100BASE-TX Technology Overview
This section briefly describes a few of the technical aspects of using a
100Mbps Ethernet network.
Cables and Connectors
Category 5 unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cables are supported. Cat 5 UTP
cable uses the same RJ-45 connector used with 10BASE-T, wired in exactly
the same configuration. However, the punch-down blocks in the wiring