D-Link DGS-1224T [6/59] Gigabit ethernet technology

INTRODUCTION

This chapter describes the features of the DGS-1224T and provides

some background information about Ethernet/Fast Ethernet/Gigabit

Ethernet switching technology.

Gigabit Ethernet Technology

Gigabit Ethernet is an extension of IEEE 802.3 Ethernet utilizing the

same packet structure, format, and support for CSMA/CD protocol,

full duplex, flow control, and management objects, but with a tenfold

increase in theoretical throughput over 100-Mbps Fast Ethernet and a

hundredfold increase over 10-Mbps Ethernet. Since it is compatible

with all 10-Mbps and 100-Mbps Ethernet environments, Gigabit

Ethernet provides a straightforward upgrade without wasting existing

investments in hardware, software, and trained personnel.

The increased speed and extra bandwidth offered by Gigabit Ethernet

is essential to helping solve network bottlenecks that frequently

develop as more advanced computer users and newer applications

continue to demand greater network resources. Upgrading key

components, such as backbone connections and servers to Gigabit

Ethernet technology can greatly improve network response times as

well as significantly speed up the traffic between subnets.

Gigabit Ethernet enables fast optical fiber connections to support

video conferencing, complex imaging, and similar data-intensive

applications. Likewise, since data transfers occur 10 times faster than

Fast Ethernet, servers outfitted with Gigabit Ethernet NIC’s are able to

perform 10 times the number of operations in the same amount of time.