NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: JEFF CARUSO
on HIGH-SPEED LANS
11/29/01 - Today's focus: The last upgrade
Dear Richard Brand,
In this issue:
* Why we're stuck with Gigabit Ethernet
* Links related to high-speed LANs
* Featured reader resource
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Today's focus: The last upgrade
By Jeff Caruso
I've argued against using Gigabit Ethernet for desktop
connections - but in the end it doesn't matter, because within
a few years Gigabit Ethernet will be standard.
Readers have sent me e-mail (thank you!) pointing out that it's
really not practical today to install Gigabit Ethernet to the
desktop, as it remains more expensive than 10/100M bit/sec
Ethernet and many users would require upgraded switches and
network interface cards.
But I think that in a few years the price of 10/100/1000M
bit/sec Ethernet equipment will get to those affordable levels.
Just as we moved from 10M bit/sec to 10/100M bit/sec because
the price difference between the two evaporated, the move to
10/100/1000M bit/sec is already in the works.
Recently, Network World's Phil Hochmuth wrote about Gigabit
Ethernet gear costing as low as $90 per port:
http://www.nwfusion.com/archive/2001/127651_11-26-2001.html
Plus, our reviews department took a look at Gigabit Ethernet
switches for small offices, evaluating them on factors like
ease of installation and performance:
http://www.nwfusion.com/reviews/2001/1126rev.html
Again, the performance doesn't come close to "gigabit" rates,
as in the tests I pointed out last week:
http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/lans/2001/01114313.html
But eventually (and this is a few years from now), from a
desktop perspective "Gigabit Ethernet" becomes simply the
standard link over which you get the most throughput possible
on Category-5 copper wiring. In other words, everyone will use
it for their copper connections and get what bandwidth they can
from it.
Given that this will be much more bandwidth than PCs will be
able to fully use for some time to come - and given that the
only way to get more speed (as far as we know) is to take on
the huge task of upgrading to fiber - this is going to be our
last desktop upgrade for a long, long time.
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To contact Jeff Caruso:
In addition to writing this newsletter, Jeff Caruso edits
Network World's e-mail newsletters from his office in
San Mateo, Calif. If you would like to make suggestions
about newsletter format or content, or even just express
your opinion on today's topic, you can reach Jeff at
mailto:jcaruso@xxxxxxx.
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RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS
Archive of the LAN newsletter:
http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/lans/index.html
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FEATURED READER RESOURCE
YOUR TAKE: State Department CIO Burbano revamps network in time
of war
New from Network World is our "Your Take" series. In this
series, we conduct in-dept interviews with top network IT
executives and share their experiences. First in this series,
Network World Senior Editor Carolyn Duffy Marsan interviewed
CIO Fernando Burbano about the status of the State Department's
network upgrade, how it's changed since Sept. 11 and his advice
regarding network security.
http://www.nwfusion.com/yourtake/2001/1029burbano.html
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Copyright Network World, Inc., 2001
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