#2 NETWORKING : ETHERNET VS SERIAL COMMUNICATION

Ethernet vs Serial communication :  

There are two main type of technology :

• Ethernet technology
• Serial technology

What is Ethernet ?

1. 100% LAN(Local Area Network) is made up of Ethernet technology because Ethernet meets all requirement of LAN.
2. There are many type of Ethernet : 

• Ethernet  - 10 Mbps
• Fast Ethernet - 100 Mbps
• Gigabit Ethernet - 1 Gbps
• 10 Gigabit Ethernet - 10 Gbps
• 100 Gigabit Ethernet - 100 Gbps

      3. It also supports star topology and even Ethernet supports all topologies.

      4. It also IP enabled and quality of service capable it means Ethernet is capable of doing classify              and prioritize.

      5. Ethernet also has a range :

• Thick wire - 500 meters
• Twisted pair - 100 meters 
• Fiber - 500 meters - 2 km and 4 km to 100 km+

     6. It is the first network to provide CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access) and also provides            Fast and Reliable network solution hence widely used. 

Fast Ethernet : It is also known as 802.3u. It is a communication protocol which provides 100 Mbps transfer speed. Fast Ethernet works over cat 5(category 5) twisted pair cable. 

Gigabit Ethernet : It is also known as 802.3z/802.ab and it supports cat 5 and cat 5e which provides 1 Gbps transfer speed .

10 Gigabit Ethernet : It is also known as 802.3ae and it published in 2002. It supports 10 Gbps transfer speed.

What is Serial communication ? 

1. Serial technology is created to work in open environment.  
2. Serial technology is created to provide long distance coverage.
3. serial technology take chunk of data and line drive over long distance line driving means superimposing of data signals over high intensity signal and sending it over a longer distance  and removing it at the other end.
4. Because this signal travels over long distance than it has a  possibility  of synchronization error . hence we want one additional ie control signal. There are many type of control signal like RTS(Request to send), CTS(Clear to sent), Xon, Xoff etc.
5. Sender take chunk of data, send RTS on receiving CTS. It will superimpose on high intensity signal and send it over long distance and at the receiver side receiver will remover data signal from high intensity signal and send an acknowledgement of next.
6. Some people say that serial technology is slower because data cannot be sent unless acknowledgement is received and it provides lesser bandwidth as some portion of bandwidth is used by control signal.  
7. Point is what ever speed and performance you can get from Ethernet technology on LAN same speed and performance can get on MAN, WAN using serial technology only difference is serial technology can provide high speed at high cost.
8. Say for example if service provider has to provide 10 Mb connection. It may take 6 channel of 2 Mb each (5 for data and one for control signal ) and provide a 10 Mb circuit.

                                    

Ethernet technology	Serial technology
Ethernet technology is created to work in control Environment.	Serial technology is created to work in open Environment.
Ethernet technology is used in LAN	Serial technology is used in MAN, WAN
It provides high speed, high B.W at low cost	It provides high speed, high B.W at high cost
This technology dose not need an additional set of control signal for synchronization.	This technology needs an  additional set of control signal for synchronization purpose

#NETWORKING

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