What is Fast Ethernet?
Fast Ethernet, also known as FE, is a local area network (LAN) transmission standard established in 1995 as IEEE 802.3u. Fast Ethernet aims to increase network speeds and reduce the number of bits, achieving speeds of 100Mbps.
Although designed for 100Base-T networks, it is also compatible with 10Base-T networks, allowing users to enjoy the benefits of faster Ethernet speeds without completely upgrading their network systems.
Fast Ethernet devices operate on Category 5 or higher UTP (unshielded twisted pair) cable, enabling longer fiber optic transmission distances. They also support both full-duplex and half-duplex modes.
What is Gigabit Ethernet?
Gigabit Ethernet is another version of the local area network (LAN) transmission standard, with the latest standards established in 1999 as IEEE 802.3ab and 2004 as IEEE 802.3ah. The IEEE 802.3ab standard defines the applicability of Gigabit Ethernet to 1000Base-T networks, allowing the use of existing UTP cabling.
Gigabit Ethernet supports speeds of 1000 Mbps, ten times faster than Fast Ethernet. Gigabit Ethernet can accommodate increasingly complex network requirements, such as connecting multiple bandwidth-hungry devices and broadband Internet connections for video streaming.
Gigabit Ethernet devices can transfer data packets much faster than Fast Ethernet. Fast Ethernet switches can transfer data packets at 10 Mbps, while Gigabit Ethernet switches can transfer data packets at the relatively fast speed of 1 Gbps.