Common Terminology: Ethernet

The term Ethernet is a communications protocol used to define a method & speed by which interconnected devices are able to communicate with each other by either a wired (twisted pair) or fiberoptic connection.

Common Ethernet communication protocol terms:

10BaseT  - Able to transmit data at a rate of 10Mbps for a maximum distance of 100 meters per segment.

100BaseT  - Able to transmit data at a rate of 100Mbps for a maximum distance of 1000 meters per segment.

The speed differences are obtained by modifying the method of encoding the data to be transferred. The maximum distance consist of the distance from switched hub to wall jack plus length of cable used to connect a particular device. The greater the distance the greater the chance of signal loss/disturbance.