Advantages of Fast Ethernet
The key advantages of the Fast Ethernet are as follows:
•
High performance
•
Standards-based technology
•
Cost-effective migration
•
Vendor support
High Performance
One of the compelling reasons to choose Fast Ethernet for work
groups is the ability to handle both the aggregate demands of multiple
LAN users and the peak traffic created by today’s high-performance
PCs and sophisticated bandwidth-intensive applications. When high
burst rates are key, Fast Ethernet is the right work group solution.
Standards-Based Technology
The standard for Fast Ethernet technology is being set by the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3
Committee, the same committee that developed the original Ethernet
standard. This technology is designed to be the most direct and simple
evolutionary extension of 10BaseT Ethernet. The key to its simplicity
is Fast Ethernet’s use of proven Carrier Sense Multiple Access
/Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) protocol, defined in the Ethernet
Media Access Control (MAC) layer.
The 100BaseT MAC is a scaled up version of the MAC used in 10 Mb/s
Ethernet. In other words, 100BaseT is conventional Ethernet, only
faster. It has the same reliable, robust, and economical technology
that users rely on today.
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