Gigabit Ethernet promises to be the solution of choice for ultra-high-speed connections in many of today's LANs. A logical extension of the well-known Ethernet technology, it offers blazing speed capability with minimal disruption to existing network configurations and operations.Gigabit Ethernet provides the capacity required for bandwidth-hungry servers, campus backbone networks, and next-generation workstations. Furthermore, it provides a seamless upgrade path from existing 10 Mb/s and 100 Mb/s Ethernet networks. All of the skills, tools, training, and experience gained from using lower-speed Ethernet LANs can be applied to the new technology, easing the pain of migration.Appropriate for anyone involved with LAN technologiesaenetwork planners, designers and administrators, equipment and applications developers, technical salespeople, studentsaethis book provides a thorough explanation of Gigabit Ethernet and the principles on which it was built.Gigabit Ethernet explains the technology in clear terms, exploring the implications for its application and operation in real-world LANs. You will learn how to identify appropriate application environments for Gigabit Ethernet, as well as how to integrate it with other technologies, make intelligent choices about products and features, and set realistic expectations about performance.

Preface. I. FOUNDATIONS OF GIGABIT ETHERNET. 1. Ethernet before Gigabit. A Brief History of Ethernet. Why Is Ethernet so Popular? Ethernet Swings Like a Pendulum Do. A Word on Nomenclature. Getting to Gigabit. 2. From Shared to Dedicated Media. Why Coaxial Cable in the First Place? The Transition to Structured Wiring. Advantages of Structured Wiring. The 10BASE-T/100BASE-T Revolution. Dedicated Media and Gigabit Ethernet. 3. From Shared to Dedicated LANs. Shared-Bandwidth LAN Concepts. LAN Bridges. A Switch Is a Bridge. Switched LAN Concepts. Cost versus Performance. Implications of Switches for Gigabit Ethernet. 4. Full-Duplex Ethernet. "Ethernet Is CSMA/CD." Why a MAC? Full-Duplex Enablers. Full-Duplex Ethernet. Implications of Full-Duplex Operation. Full-Duplex Application Environments. Application of Full-Duplex Mode to Gigabit Ethernet. 5. Frame Formats. But First, a Word on Notation and Bit/Byte Ordering. Ethernet Addresses. The DIX Ethernet Frame. The IEEE 802.3 Frame Format (1985-1996). The IEEE 802.3 Frame Format (1997). 6. Ethernet Flow Control. The Need for Flow Control in Ethernet. MAC Control. PAUSE Function. Flow Control Implementation Issues. Flow Control Symmetry. 7. Ethernet Medium Independence. Ethernet Is Multimedia! 10 Mb/s Attachment Unit Interface. 100 Mb/s Medium-Independent Interface. Medium Independence and Gigabit Ethernet. Summary of Medium-Independent Interfaces. 8. Automatic Configuration. The Driving Forces behind Automatic Configuration. Auto-Negotiation on UTP Systems. Auto-Negotiation on Optical Fiber. Automatic Configuration for Gigabit Ethernet. II. GIGABIT ETHERNET TECHNOLOGY. 9. Architecture and Overview of Gigabit Ethernet. Gigabit Ethernet Architecture. Overview of Gigabit Ethernet Technology. 10. Gigabit Ethernet Media Access Control. Half-Duplex MAC. Full-Duplex MAC. Rationale and Target Applications for Half- versus Full-Duplex Gigabit Ethernet. 11. Gigabit Ethernet Hubs. Repeaters. Switching Hubs. Routing Hubs. 12. Gigabit Ethernet Physical Layer. Physical Layer Architecture. 1000BASE-X. 1000BASE-T. Physical Layer Design Guidelines. 13. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Gigabit Ethernet Standard. What Is IEEE 802.3? What Is IEEE 802.3z? Target Audience and Reader Assumptions. The IEEE 802.3z Standard. Work-in-Progress. III. APPLYING GIGABIT ETHERNET. 14. Application Environments. End-Station Attachments. LAN Interconnection. 15. Performance Considerations. End-to-End Communications Paths. Measuring and Improving Performance. 16. Technology Alternatives. Fast Ethernet. Fiber Distributed Data Interface. High-Performance Parallel Interface. Fibre Channel. Asynchronous Transfer Mode. Appendix A: 8B/10B Code Tables. References. Index. 0201185539T04062001