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About Gigabit Ethernet and Fiber Optic Cabling
Business Series Smart Gigabit Ethernet Switch
Appendix A
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.
For Gigabit Ethernet, 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.
For Fast Ethernet, you must use the MFEFX1 (100BASE-FX)
or MFELX1 (100BASE-LX) SFP transceivers.