GIGABIT ETHERNET

GIGABIT ETHERNET

ABSTRACT
Ethernet is the world's most pervasive networking technology, since the 1970's. It is estimated that in 1996, 82% of all networking equipment shipped was Ethernet. In 1995, the Fast Ethernet standard was approved by the IEEE . Fast Ethernet provided 10 times higher bandwidth, and other new features such as full-duplex operation, and auto-negotiation. This established Ethernet as a scalable technology.
Now, with the emerging Gigabit Ethernet standard, it is expected to scale even further .The Fast Ethernet standard was pushed by an industry consortium called the Fast Ethernet Alliance.
A similar alliance, called the Gigabit Ethernet Alliance, was formed by, 11 companies in May 1996, soon after IEEE announced the formation of the 802.3z Gigabit Ethernet Standards project. At last count, there were over 95 companies in the alliance from the networking, computer and integrated circuit industries. A draft 802.3z standard was issued by, IEEE in July 1997.
The new Gigabit Ethernet standards will be fully compatible with existing Ethernet installations. It will retain Carrier Sense Multiple Access/ Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) as the access method. It will support full duplex as well as half duplex modes of operation. Initially, single-mode and multi mode fiber and short-haul coaxial cable will be supported. The standard uses physical signaling technology used in Fiber Channel to support Gigabit rates over optical fibers.
Initially, Gigabit Ethernet was deployed as a backbone in existing networks. It can be used to aggregate traffic between clients and "server farms", and for connecting Fast Ethernet switches. It can also be used for connecting workstations and servers for high - bandwidth applications such as medical imaging or CAD.