Getting started with Gigabit Ethernet

gallery

Configuration and management

No matter which switch type you use, any configuration changes will need to be documented. Network switches are a critical component of your business infrastructure, and configurations should be part of a change management system. Smaller networks can take advantage of budget unmanaged switches. If you just want to connect your hardware together, and aren't interested in complex network management schemes, then an unmanaged switch is a good, low-cost alternative.

Static gigabit links can be aggregated to provide additional bandwidth (at the expense of switch ports). Linked ports function as a single, very high bandwidth, channel. You can use this approach to provide inter-floor connectivity, or to improve the connectivity between data centre racks (perhaps linking applications servers to storage servers or a backup VLAN).

So what equipment can you connect to your new, faster network? Many servers now come with 10/100/1000 megabit NICs. PCI and PCI Express variants are available, along with 32-bit and 64-bit drivers. Many notebooks only have 10/100 megabit NICs, though Apple has been adding gigabit connectivity to its high-end notebooks and notebooks PCs designed for business users will have gigabit ports. You're unlikely to find any WiFi access points with gigabit capability, but as 802.11g wireless networks peak at 54Mb/s, gigabit connections to wired networks aren't really necessary. Gigabit will speed up storage connections, and SME NAS appliances like the Buffalo Terastation Pro (and even consumer-friendly devices like Iomega's StorCenter NAS) already support 1000Base-T.

Managing the switch from 100Base-T to 1000Base-T needn't be complex - or expensive. Take it step by step, keep an eye on the cabling, and pretty soon you'll be putting the go-faster stripes on the sides of your PCs and servers.

Email to a friend

Print this page