Filter
Top Products
Introduction6
CSMA/CD Ethernet protocol. Since Fast Ethernet is compatible with all
10Mbps Ethernet environments, it provides a straightforward upgrade with-
out wasting the company’s existing investment in hardware, software, and
trained personnel.
Cables and Connectors
Category 5 unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cables and shielded twisted-pair
(STP) cables are both supported. Category 5 UTP cables use the same RJ-
45 connector used with 10BASE-T, wired in the same configuration.
Topology
A Fast Ethernet workgroup is configured in a star topology and is built
around a maximum of two repeaters. Each workgroup forms a separate
LAN (also known as a collision domain), and these workgroups can be eas-
ily interconnected through switches, bridges, or routers to form one LAN
large enough to encompass a high-rise building or campus environment.
Recent innovations in LAN hub technology such as stackable hubs, coupled
with the decreasing cost of switches, bridges, and routers, allow the design
of low-cost, efficient Fast Ethernet workgroups and enterprise LANs.
The following factors strongly influence the architecture of Fast Ethernet
networks:
• The EIA/TIA 568 Wiring Standard imposes a 100 meter limit on
horizontal runs of twisted-pair cables; that is, connections from the
wiring closet to the end-station.
• Fast Ethernet’s increased operational speed reduces the maximum
distance between all elements of the LAN (see below).