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Appendix A: About Gigabit Ethernet and Fiber Optic Cabling
Gigabit Ethernet
WebView Switches
Appendix A: About Gigabit Ethernet and Fiber Optic Cabling
Gigabit Ethernet
Gigabit Ethernet runs at speeds of 1Gbps (Gigabit per second), ten times faster than 100Mbps Fast Ethernet, but
it still integrates seamlessly with 100Mbps Fast Ethernet hardware. Users can connect Gigabit Ethernet hardware
with either fiber optic cabling or copper Category 5e cabling, with fiber optics more suited for network
backbones. As the Gigabit standard gradually integrates into existing networks, current computer applications
will enjoy faster access time for network data, hardware, and Internet connections.
Fiber Optic Cabling
Fiber optic cabling is made from flexible, optically efficient strands of glass and coated with a layer of rubber
tubing, fiber optics use photons of light instead of electrons to send and receive data. Although fiber is physically
capable of carrying terabits of data per second, the signaling hardware currently on the market can handle no
more than a few gigabits of data per second.
Fiber cables come with two main connector types. The most commonly used fiber optic cable is multi-mode fiber
cable (MMF), with a 62.5 micron fiber optic core. Single-mode fiber cabling is somewhat more efficient than
multi-mode but far more expensive, due to its smaller optic core that helps retain the intensity of traveling light
signals. A fiber connection always require two fiber cables: one transmits data, and the other receives it.
Each fiber optic cable is tipped with a connector that fits into a fiber port on a network adapter, hub, or switch. In
the USA, most cables use a square SC connector that slides and locks into place when plugged into a port or
connected to another cable. In Europe, the round ST connector is more prevalent.
You must use the Linksys MGBT1, MGBSX1, or MGBLH1 miniGBIC modules with the Linksys Gigabit Switches. The
MGBSX1 and the MGBLH1 require fiber cabling with LC connectors, and the MGBT1 requires a Category 5e
Ethernet cable with an RJ-45 connector.