Fast Ethernet operates at 100 Mbps while Gigabit Ethernet operates at 1000 Mbps, making it ten times faster. Gigabit Ethernet has a longer coverage range of up to 70 km compared to Fast Ethernet's 10 km. Gigabit Ethernet requires specialized devices, raising costs and complexity, unlike Fast Ethernet. The following pointers will help you understand it better and give tips on how to choose between Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet. Speed:As discussed earlier, Fast Ethernet offers a LAN speed of 100 Mbps, while Gigabit Ethernet provides a LAN speed of 1000 Mbps, which is 10 times faster than Fast Ethernet. Fast Ethernet is suitable for small businesses or home applications that require a maximum LAN speed of 100 Mbps. On the other hand, Gigabit Ethernet is ideal for applications that demand high Internet speeds and LAN speeds. Round-trip Delay (RTD): This refers to the time duration taken by a web browser to send the signal and receive the acknowledgment from the server. Round-trip time or Round trip-delay is expressed in milliseconds. When discussed in terms of computer networks, it is also referred to as a ping time. The Gigabit Ethernet has a delay of 4000-bit times, and the Fast Ethernet has a delay of 100-150 bit times. On looking at the numbers, one can realize that the Fast Ethernet has slightly longer delay times than Gigabit Ethernet. Device Requirements: As said before, both these Ethernet types utilize similar devices, but have slightly different requirements. The Fast Ethernet does not require specific devices, whereas Gigabit Ethernet requires specifically designed cables and Ethernet switches. Thus, it raises the cost of investment. Configuration: Owing to their requirement for special devices, the configuration problems are little higher in Gigabit Ethernet than the Fast Ethernet. Upgrades: Standard Ethernet to Fast Ethernet upgrade is easy and requires no major investments. However, Fast Ethernet to Gigabit Ethernet upgrade requires major investment and there are several complexities involved in it. Coverage: Fast Ethernet offers a coverage of 10 km and Gigabit Ethernet can cover up to 70 Kms.

1. Types of Fast Ethernet?
Fast Ethernet refers to Ethernet standards that offer data transfer speeds of
100 Mbps (Megabits per second).
100BASE-TX: This type of Fast Ethernet uses Category 5 (Cat5) or higher
twisted-pair copper cables for data transmission. It operates over two
pairs of wires (pins 1-2 and 3-6) in the Ethernet cable and supports full-
duplex mode for simultaneous data transmission and reception.
1.
100BASE-FX: This type of Fast Ethernet utilizes fiber optic cables for data
transmission. It operates over two optical fibers and supports full-duplex
mode as well.
2.
100BASE-FX is commonly used for long-distance connections, where
copper cables might have limitations.
3.
FAST ETHERNET
VS
GIGABIT ETHERNET
Fast Ethernet (FE): Introduced in 1995, Fast Ethernet has a transmission
speed of 100 Mbps. Covered under 802.3u standard, a few Fast Ethernet types
include 100 Base-FX, 100 Base-T4, and 100 Base-TX. The “100” is common to
all and it indicates the transmission speed of the network, which is 100 Mbps.
Base refers to the baseband signaling. In this, T stands for twisted pair cable,
and F stands for fiber – both referring to the type of cable used for signal
carrying. The term 4 or X refers to the line code signal used. FE supports both
- full-duplex and half-duplex modes. Autonegotiation was introduced along
with FE, which enables two devices to transmit data through a commonly
shared connection.
FAST
ETHERNET
100 Base EX 100 Base T4
100BASE-TX:
100BASE-FX
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2. Types of Gigabit Ethernet?
Gigabit Ethernet refers to Ethernet standards that offer data transfer speeds
of 1 Gbps (Gigabit per second). There are several types of Gigabit Ethernet:
1000BASE-T: Also known as Gigabit Ethernet over twisted-pair copper
cables, is the most common type of Gigabit Ethernet. It operates over
Category 5e (Cat5e) or higher twisted-pair copper cables and supports
full-duplex mode for simultaneous data transmission and reception.
1.
1000BASE-SX: This type of Gigabit Ethernet utilizes multi-mode fiber
optic cables for data transmission. It is commonly used for short-distance
connections, such as within a data center or campus network.
2.
1000BASE-LX: 1000BASE-LX also utilizes fiber optic cables but is
designed for longer-distance connections compared to 1000BASE-SX. It is
suitable for connections spanning several kilometers.
3.
1000BASE-ZX: This type of Gigabit Ethernet is designed for even longer-
distance connections, often reaching up to 70 kilometers or more. It is
commonly used in metropolitan and wide-area networks.
4.
1000BASE-CX: This type of Gigabit Ethernet utilizes balanced copper
cables with specialized connectors for short-distance connections within
data centers or between networking equipment.
5.
1000BASE-TX: This is a less common type of Gigabit Ethernet that uses
Category 6 (Cat6) or higher twisted-pair copper cables for data
transmission. It is backward compatible with 100BASE-TX and supports
full-duplex mode.
6.
Gigabit Ethernet (GE): Introduced in 1999, Gigabit Ethernet has a
transmission speed of 1000 Mbps. It is today one of the widely used Ethernet
types. It supports full-duplex and half-duplex modes and is covered under the
framework of 803.2. It was first introduced over fiber optic cables in 1999
and twisted pair cables were introduced later. There are different layer
standards of GE such as 1000Base – SX, 1000Base-LX, 1000Base- CX, and
1000Base-T. Of these 1000 Base-SX and 1000-Base LX use fiber optics cable
and 1000Base –CX uses 2 pairs of STP and 1000Base-T uses 4 pairs of STP.
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