What is a network connection?
A network connection connects network devices to each other allowing data transmission and communication between connected devices within a local area network (LAN) or broader networks.
What is an ethernet connection?
An Ethernet connection is a type of network connection that uses a cable to interconnect and transmit data between devices.
The physical connection can be wired or wired and wireless.
Types of wired or cabled connection are copper cables, fiber optic cables
Types of wireless connections are all those that use radio frequency for the connection, that is, via radio such as a WiFi connection.
What is the speed of an Ethernet connection?
The speed of an Ethernet connection has varied over time as technologies have evolved, from old 10 Mbps connections to current 40 or 100 Gbps networks.
Speed varies depending on technology, quality and network configuration.
What are the most used standards in an Ethernet connection?
- 10BASE-T Ethernet 10 Mbps: This is the oldest speed of Ethernet, offering a data transmission rate of up to 10 megabits per second (Mbps). Although it is quite slow compared to more modern standards, it can still be used in certain scenarios.
- 100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet 100 Mbps: This standard offers speeds of up to 100 Mbps, making it ten times faster than Ethernet 10 Mbps. It is commonly used in home and small business networks.
- 1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet 1 Gbps: This is one of the most common speeds today, offering speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps). It is used in home and business networks and in data centers.
- 10GBASE-T 10 Gigabit Ethernet 10 Gbps: This standard offers speeds ten times faster than Gigabit Ethernet, with speeds up to 10 Gbps. It is mainly used in enterprise and data center environments where high data transfer speeds are required.
- 40GBASE and 100GBASE: There are speeds such as 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps: These standards are less common and are mainly used in data center environments and high-speed networks.
What types of cables do network connections use?
Network connections use different types of cables depending on the interface existing on the devices that we have to connect to the network. Each cable has its own characteristics and technical specifications.
The types of cables normally used in network connections are the following:
- Ethernet Cable (UTP/STP): Ethernet cable is the most common type of cable used in wired networks. There are several categories such as Cat 5, Cat 5e, Cat 6, Cat 6a, Cat 7, Cat 7a and Cat 8
These cables can be unshielded twisted pair (UTP) or shielded twisted pair (STP), and are used to connect devices such as computers, routers, switches, and networking devices.
| Category |
Rate |
Frecuency |
Download |
| Cat 5 |
100 Mbps |
100 MHz |
15,5 MB/s |
| Cat 5E |
1.000 Mbps |
100 MHz |
150,5 MB/s |
| Cat 6 |
1.000 Mbps |
250 MHz |
150,5 MB/s |
| Cat 6A |
10.000 Mbps |
500 MHz |
1.250 MB/s ó 1,25 GB/s |
| Cat 7 |
10.000 Mbps |
600 MHz |
1,25 GB/s |
| Cat 7A |
10.000 Mbps |
1.000 MHz |
1,25 GB/s |
| Cat 8 |
40.000 Mbps |
2.000 MHz |
5 GB/s |
- Coaxial cable: Although less common in modern networking environments, coaxial cable is still used in some configurations, especially in television and Internet cable networks. This type of cable consists of a conductive core surrounded by an insulator and a metal mesh. It is used to transmit high frequency signals and is more resistant to interference than twisted pair cable.
- Fiber optic cable: This type of cable uses glass or plastic threads to transmit data using pulses of light. Fiber optics offer extremely high transmission speeds and greater immunity to electromagnetic interference compared to copper cables. It is used in high-speed, long-distance networks, such as wide area networks (WAN) and fiber optic Internet links.
- Serial connection cable: This type of cable is used to connect serial devices, such as modems, routers and switches, using RS-232 or RS-485 serial ports. Although less common in modern networks, it is still in use in some industrial and telecommunications applications.
