PC Help Jansant - Ethernet Guide

Search This Site

Main Menu

Home Page
Computer Guides
Computer Dictionary
Network Setup
Tips and Tricks
Internet Guide
Freeware/Shareware
PC Upgrade Guide
PC Maintenance
Support Forum
HTML Guide

Hardware required for Wired Network - Network setup

This ethernet guide will explain:

• Passive hubs, active Hubs.
• Maximum cable lengths, UTP cat5 and cat5e.
• 10BaseT, 100BaseT, 1000BaseT, 100BaseTX, 100BaseFX, 10base2, 10base5.
• Hardware Requirements for ethernet IEEE802.3.
• Network switches, Network Interface Cards (NIC), star topology wired networking.

Also Read: Network Setup Guide and Network Topology

Ethernet Buying Guide - all you need to create a 5 computer network

The most practical and cheapest solution for a home or small office network is an ethernet based network. A wired network can offer faster speeds than a wireless network. Ethernet networks are defined by the IEEE 802.3 standard and use Carrier Sense Multiple Access Collision Detection (CSMA/CD). Only one device can transmit across the network at any given time, CSMA/CD ensures the safe delivery of data. If a collision of data occurs this is detected and the data is resent. IEEE 802.3 is a committee of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. This committee sets the standards all IEEE 802.3 devices must adhere to.

Requirements for connecting two computers;

A 10/100/1000baseT Network Interface Card (NIC) for each computer, and a cat5 cross over cable is required. You will not require a switch/hub. NIC's can be purchased extremely cheaply now, and even cat5 cabling has reduced massively in price since the popularity of wireless networks has increased.

Requirements for connecting three or more computers;

• A 10/100/1000baseT Network Interface Card (NIC) for each computer.
• A Cat5 or Cat5e unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable for each computer long enough to reach the switch/hub.
• A switch or hub with enough links (connections) for the number of computers in your network.

NIC's and Cabling

There are various different types of network interface cards (NICs) available, they offer different data transmission speed and can use different cabling .

You will see them referred to something like 10baseT.
xxbase**
xx = the speed of the network
base = baseband
** = type of cabling

A 10baseT NIC can transmit data at 10Mbps and uses Cat5 unshielded Twisted pair (UTP) cabling and RJ-45 connectors.
A 100baseT NIC can transmit data at 100Mbps and uses Cat5 UTP cabling and RJ-45 connectors.
A 100baseTX NIC can transmit data at 100Mbps uses either UTP or shielded twisted pair (STP) cabling and RJ-45 connectors.

A NIC that can transmit at 100Mbps is referred to as "fast ethernet".

A NIC that can transmit at 1000Mbps is often referred to as "Gigabit to the desktop"

NIC's can be PCI and USB devices.

An RJ-45 connector looks like a normal telephone connector but is slightly larger.

The maximum cable lengths in the table above are computer to computer using a passive hub. An active hub allows even further distance between computers, read further down about passive and active hubs.

A 10/100/1000baseT NIC makes its physical network connection using a UTP Cat5 or Cat5e cable with RJ-45 connectors, attached to a hub/switch. The cable is also called a patch. cable.

You can can connect NIC to NIC between two computers without a hub. Cat5 or Cat5e crossover cable with RJ-45 connectors is used between NIC's. No hub or switch is used. A maximum distance of 100 meters between PCs.

1000baseT is a 1000Mbps (1Gbps) network that operates using Cat5 or Cat5e UTP cabling, many such devices are backwards compatible with 10/100baseT equipment. 1000baseT is suitable for homes with high traffic volumes, experienced due to multimedia content flowing across the network.

10baseFX and 100baseFX uses fiber-optic cabling increasing the maximum cable length. Fibre-optic cabling uses ST or ST connector. Devices don't use RJ-45 connectors.

STP cabling is used where there is a lot of electrical noise or other interference that can interfere with transmission. A workshop using lots of power tools and the like would be a good candidate for 100baseTX using STP cabling. The cable is shielded from the electrical noise around it.

Hubs and Switches

When using a hub or a switch to connect computers on a network, this is referred to as a "star topology" in networking terms. Hubs and switches do not require the assignment of an IP address.



Hubs and switches are very similar but have a fundamental difference.

• A hub must share bandwidth between competing computers.
• A switch can offer dedicated bandwidth between devices.

100Mbps hub using 100baseT NIC's. Computer A and B are transmitting and computer C and D are transmitting, the transmission speed offered to A and B will be 50Mbps, C and D will transmit at 50Mbps.

100Mbps switch using 100baseT NIC's. Computers A and B will transmit at 100Mbps and Computers C and D will transmit at 100Mbps. A switch is the most efficient use of your available bandwidth.

100Mbps switch using 100baseT NIC's. Computers A, B, and C are communicating together at the same time, the combined bandwidth will not exceed 100Mbps.

Hubs and switches are sold with a maximum speed to match the type of NIC, cabling, and connectors in use. A 10Mbps NIC can normally communicate with devices capable of 100Mbps communication. However the maximum bandwidth available is the speed of the slowest device i.e. hub, switch or NIC. All other devices capable of communicating at 100Mbps will communicate at their normal speed unless communicating with/through a slower device.

A crossover cable can be used to connect hubs/switches.


Active and passive hubs

• A powered hub plugs into a power socket, and is a active hub.
• A non-powered hub requires no power source, and is a passive hub.

100baseT NIC's using UTP and a passive hub. The total cable length between any PCs must not exceed 100meters. The combined length of the 2 cables must not exceed 100 meters.

100baseT NIC's using UTP and a active hub or switch. The maximum cable length from computer to active hub/switch is 100 meters. Allowing a possible 200 meters between computers. The powered device acts as a repeater boosting the signal for the next 100 meters.

Note: A network device marked as "IEEE 802.3" is designed to be used on ethernet networks, remember this when you purchase your network devices.

Networking standards like most things in IT change rapidly. You can check the latest Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards.

Web-Site Administrators Local Time

feedback - terms of use - contact - sitemap - advertise - webmasters

©PC Help Jansant