Hello everybody!
A great deal of our esteemed members were kind enough to use our Community to search for information regarding the enterprise network throughout the course of last year and one of the hottest keywords was - surprisingly or not - 'Ethernet'.
After seeing that, I stopped for a second and wondered: 'why would our Community users still be interested in the traditional technology for connecting devices in a wired LAN?'. Then I did the research and realized not only that this technology is still omnipresent nowadays, but also that it provides some pretty important benefits compared to the wireless technology for example, thing which calls for a dedicated blog post. Let's find out more about Ethernet in the paragraphs to come!
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Let us start this post as we should, that is, by conceptualizing Ethernet. Therefore, according to the the website of the multinational networking device manufacturer Linksys.com, Ethernet 'refers to the most common type of Local Area Network (LAN) used today. A LAN—in contrast to a WAN (Wide Area Network), which spans a larger geographical area—is a connected network of computers in a small area, like your office, college campus, or even home. You might even be connected to one as you read this.'
Going even further with the explanation, the website beautifully draws the line between Ethernet and its more... modern counterpart: 'What Ethernet is not, though, is wireless. In a world where Wi-Fi seems to rule our connected lives, you might be wondering: Is there even still room for that rectangular Ethernet port on your laptop? From serious business people to serious gamers, that answer is "yes, there definitely is."' Rationale to be found below.
HISTORY
If we're talking about the historic background of Ethernet, then we will turn to TechTarget.com. An undoubtedly awesome representation depicting the evolution of Ethernet is showcased, which can also be found below:
Source: https://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/Ethernet#:~:text=Ethernet is the traditional technology,rules or common network language.
It can thus be noticed that, originating from the early '80s, Ethernet has undergone quite a significant amount of changes (especially in terms of protocols) throughout the course of time. Talking about new and improved recipes much?
WHERE CAN ETHERNET BE USED?
As previously mentioned, Ethernet can be used pretty much anywhere where the owner/administrator doesn't mind some holes drilled in their walls. Nowadays however, Ethernet is mainly used in the enterprise environment, which can be represented by
academic campuses;
business offices;
health institutions;
any of the the like.
ETHERNET BENEFITS
Ethernet provides provides countless benefits to the enterprise that decides to go with this approach. It is worth, thus, mentioning:
the signal is always stable - since the connection is 100% wired, there will not be any problems caused by intereferences, which translates into close to nil network disruptions;
the speed is superior - as there's no physical obstacle blocking the signal, Ethernet speed is much higher and constant than the one provided by a wireless connection;
the security is unbreachable - with Ethernet, potential hackers wanting to destabilize your network's security must be physically present by the network, a much harder target to hit compared to any wireless network;
the OPEX is lower - given that the Ethernet technology is not the latest, up-to-date development in the area of networking, vendor's services are also priced accordingly.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Even though what the enterprise environment is undergoing is a full-on digital transformation, sometimes simplicity truly is the answer. Although dating back more than half a decade, the Ethernet technology is still with us nowadays and it doesn't seem to become obsolete any time soon. Subscribe to the Community blog for more content on trends in the Telecom industry!
