Evolution of Ethernet Given the speeds of today’s Ethernet and the progression of the speeds, 10 to 100Gigs over 8 years and 100Gig to 1Tb since, transmission rate will double again in about 8 years. Although this seems true, I read that Ethernet fabric will rival fiber optic transmission capabilities. We must keep in might that a network is only as fast as its slowest component. This means computers will have to continue to get faster at processing requests and switches and routers will have to analyze and forward data packets at a higher speed to keep up with the evolution of Ethernet. Cat5e, Cat5 and CAT6 are the most recent Ethernet Evolution; they are the standard and most easily affordable for companies to use. The ease of installment is also a big factor when using CAT cables, twisting and lining up the end connectors is all that is required. The biggest issue with using CAT is that in starts to lose signal after 100 meters, it needs to be sent through a repeater, or a switch to regain signal strength. For the cost, performance and ease of installation the CAT5e is the best medium for a LAN. The next steps ethnet will be taking will be to increases speed and security. An organization using medical equipment or financial information has to consider what security protocols and policies it would use. Using Category 6 twisted pair cabling. These cables are hardier versions of Cat5E and are covered in a shielding that prevents them from being compromised by electrical wiring or magnetic fields. Once the speeds of Ethernet have been completely maxed out, the next upgrade will have to the security features they provide.

Work Cited:
Solomon, M., & Kim, D. (2013). Fundamentals of Communications and Networking. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning.