The ether
The name refers to the “ether” through which, according to old physicists, light travelled. Originally all computers shared a single coaxial cable. Today every device has its own cable running to a switch.
Why cable still wins
- Stable speed without dropouts or interference.
- Lower latency, which players of CS2 or Siege will appreciate.
- With PoE, the cable can also power cameras and access points, see PoE: power over the network cable.
Speeds
| Standard | Speed | Cable |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Ethernet | 100 Mb/s | Cat5 |
| Gigabit | 1 Gb/s | Cat5e |
| 2.5G and 5G | 2.5 to 5 Gb/s | Cat5e and Cat6 |
| 10G | 10 Gb/s | Cat6A |