Ethernet

Ethernet is a networking standard typically used for local area networks (LANs), but which is also now being adapted for wide-area network (WAN) use over optical fibre connections.

The standard has been in existence since the 1980s, and has grown to become the most common form of LAN technology in use, displacing rivals such as IBM's Token Ring.

During this period, speeds have grown from 10Mbit/s to 100Mbits, 1Gbit/s and even 10Gbit/s, while the industry is now pushing for even higher speed grades such as 100Gbit/s.

Modern Ethernet implementations typically use twisted pair cabling to connect end nodes at speeds of 100Mbit/s, while the backbone or trunk connections of the network may be 1Gbit/s optical fibre, or 10Gbit/s inside datacentres.