Ethernet has gone through a number of evolutionary changes to bring us to where we are today. Modern Ethernet networks are based on the same technologies and standards that you learned about in the previous chapter. The newer versions continue to improve the bandwidth, but use the same frame types, access methods, and so on—even the connectors, NICs, and switches have relatively the same form factor. Modern Ethernet enables network techs to build larger, faster, more reliable networks!

In this lab, you’ll examine the specifications and hardware that make up Ethernet standards; look at design aspects to keep in mind when planning a modern switched Ethernet network; and then explore the Ethernet developments that take us beyond Gigabit Ethernet.

30 MINUTES

Lab Exercise 5.01: Understanding Ethernet Standards

Ethernet networks have evolved over the last 20 years or so from the early 10-Mbps implementations to today’s speeds of 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, and now the latest and greatest 40/100 Gbps standards ratified in 2010. Wired networks utilize either copper wire or fiber-optic cabling to physically transmit the Ethernet frames from device to device. You explored the basics of Ethernet in Chapter 4, “Ethernet Basics,” learning that no matter what speed Ethernet performs at, the fundamentals of the technology remain the same.

100BaseTX (copper wire) and 100BaseFX (fiber-optic cabling) Ethernet provide 100-Mbps performance. Both technologies have a large installed base, utilizing hybrid star-bus topology with central switches. You’ll still need to familiarize yourself with their characteristics to provide quality network support for existing installations. However, the current trend when installing or upgrading wired networks is 1000BaseT utilizing CAT 6 or CAT 6a UTP copper cabling and gigabit NICs and switches. In addition, many backbones are implementing either 1000BaseSX multimode fiber or 1000BaseLX single-mode fiber, depending on distance.

With this in mind, you’re going to spend some time exploring the characteristics of Gigabit Ethernet and gather some information on Gigabit Ethernet NICs. In the next lab exercise, you will examine Gigabit Ethernet switches.

Learning Objectives

In this lab, you’ll examine the standards and technology of 1000BaseT, 1000BaseSX, and 1000BaseLX Ethernet. When you have completed this lab, you will be able to

   Define the 1000BaseT Ethernet specifications, requirements, and limitations

   Define the 1000BaseSX and 1000BaseLX Ethernet specifications, requirements, and limitations

   Recommend Gigabit Ethernet NICs

   Determine appropriate use of fiber-optic Ethernet based on application

Lab Materials and Setup

The materials you’ll need for this lab are

   The Mike Meyers’ CompTIA Network+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting Networks textbook

   Internet access

   Pen or pencil

   Paper

Getting Down to Business

Recalling the cabling scenario from Chapter 3, your client, the Department of Transportation, is building a new regional Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) complex consisting of two physical buildings. One building will house all of the administrative departments (licensing, title, tags, and registration). The other building, located approximately 900 feet away from the administrative building, will be a large, garage-like structure where the physical inspection of the automobiles will be conducted. The professional installers have submitted a proposal that has been accepted, outlining the following parameters:

   The proposed cabling for the internal office space of the administrative building is Category 6a UTP. The administrative network will need to support 75 to 100 devices (servers, computers, and printers).

   The proposed cabling for the internal area of the inspection building is Category 6a UTP. The network in the inspection building will need to support 25 to 40 devices (computers and printers).

   For the backbone between the two buildings, the proposal is single-mode 12-fiber optic cabling.

Using this general information, follow Steps 1 through 7 to develop an implementation plan for the new site. The design should take advantage of the Gigabit Ethernet technology.

Step 1 Utilizing the textbook and online resources, research and document the following information for 1000BaseT Ethernet:

Step 2 Utilizing online resources, research and document the following information for 1000BaseTX Ethernet:

Step 3 Utilizing the textbook and online resources, research and document the following information for 1000BaseSX Ethernet:

Step 4 Utilizing the textbook and online resources, research and document the following information for 1000BaseLX Ethernet:

Step 5 Utilizing online resources, research and document the following information for 1000BaseZX Ethernet:

Step 6 As discussed in the scenario, the new facility will have approximately 100 to 140 network devices (computers and printers). In order to implement Gigabit Ethernet throughout the organization, each device will need a gigabit NIC. Launch your browser and research the current pricing for Gigabit Ethernet NICs. Document your findings in the following space:

Step 7 Ethernet networks using 1000BaseSX and 1000BaseLX fiber-optic hardware and cabling share most of the qualities of 1000BaseT networks, but are considerably more expensive to implement. What are the circumstances under which 1000BaseSX or 1000BaseLX would be preferable to 1000BaseT?

Which technology would you recommend for the 900-foot backbone run between the administrative building and the inspection building?

30 MINUTES

Lab Exercise 5.02: Ethernet Network Design: Implementing Switches

Continuing with the installation of the Department of Transportation regional DMV complex, you have determined that the administrative building will need to support 75 to 100 network devices, and the inspection building will need to support 25 to 40 network devices. The professional cable installers will calculate the horizontal runs and cable drops needed from the telecommunications room(s) to each node.

Now it is your turn! You will need to research Gigabit Ethernet switching technology to provide recommendations regarding make and model, quantity, and specific solutions based on application.

Learning Objectives

In this lab, you’ll explore Ethernet switch technology.

By the end of this lab, you will be able to

   Research and recommend Ethernet switches to meet specific applications

   Define solutions to implement high-speed backbone ports

   Design a simple network using Gigabit Ethernet switches

   Define full-duplex operation

Lab Materials and Setup

The materials you’ll need for this lab are

   The Mike Meyers’ CompTIA Network+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting Networks textbook

   Internet access

   Pen or pencil

   Paper

Getting Down to Business

The physical layout of the buildings and proposed location of telecommunications rooms, cubicles, computers, and printers is complete. The cable installers have provided 100 drops in the correct locations throughout the administrative building, and 40 drops in the inspection garage. The design of the network will have to meet the following criteria:

   A total of 82 network devices will be installed in Phase 1 of the administrative building.

   A total of 30 network devices will be installed during Phase 1 in the inspection garage.

   In the administrative building, there are two areas where clusters of computers will outnumber the wall jacks in close physical proximity. It has been recommended that desktop switches be employed in these two areas.

   The cable installers have qualified the single-mode fiber-optic backbone and have terminated a pair of the cables with LC connectors on each end. Each termination is fed into the telecommunications room of both the administrative building and the inspection garage.

In the following steps, you will research and select the switches to meet the design specifications of the campus and define the quantity and location of each switch. You’ll also explore some of the modular interface options to connect LAN and WAN backbones. Better get to work!

Step 1 With the current layout of the facilities and total number of network nodes (devices), you will need to provide anywhere from 100 to 140 network connections throughout the two physical buildings. Each NIC ultimately connects to a port on a switch.

Depending on the application of the switch, you may have to make some decisions, such as whether to install economical, desktop switches or enterprise, fully managed switches, and whether you will provide power to downstream devices through the Ethernet cabling known as Power over Ethernet (PoE). You’ll also want to plan on having one switch in each physical building that will provide fiber-optic ports to tie in the backbone between the two buildings.

Using the Internet, explore the various gigabit switches available today, and price out a configuration to meet the needs of this facility. You should document the following varieties at various price points:

a. Economical, desktop switches:

b. Managed switch supporting PoE:

c. To implement the fiber-optic backbone, almost every mid- to high-end switch offers some type of small form factor (SFF) port. Most manufacturers are offering a modular design with either small form-factor pluggable (SFP) or gigabit interface converter (GBIC) transceivers to support multiple technologies and connections without replacing the switch. Explore the offerings for 1000BaseLX SFP transceivers to enable these switches for the single-mode fiber-optic backbone connection between the buildings:

Step 2 Now it is time to configure the telecommunications rooms and workgroups to enable the network. Using the information you have gathered in Step 1, describe the switch configuration you will be using to support the regional DMV.

a. The administrative building will initially implement 82 of the 100 cable drops available throughout the building. Remember that you will need to configure the interface for the fiber-optic connection between the two buildings. What quantity and configuration of switches do you recommend to meet the requirements of the network design?

b. There will be two workgroups located in areas that will not support the total number of network devices that the workgroups will be using (only one or two drops in these areas). What is your recommendation to accommodate the additional network devices?

c. The inspection garage will initially implement 30 of the 40 cable drops available throughout the building. Remember that you will need to configure the interface for the fiber-optic connection between the two buildings. What quantity and configuration of switches do you recommend to meet the requirements of the network design?

30 MINUTES

Lab Exercise 5.03: Beyond Gigabit Ethernet: 10 Gigabit Ethernet

Gigabit Ethernet is becoming the standard for new installs right to the desktop! In other words, 1000-Mbps NICs and switches are reaching a price point where they can be implemented cost-effectively throughout an organization. As you learned in previous labs, many gigabit NICs and switches are available to complement the design of modern organizational networks.

10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE), providing 10 gigabits of data per second over copper or fiber-optic connections, is still comparatively pricy and therefore relegated to high-demand, high-speed applications: high-demand servers, campus backbones, and WAN communications. In this lab, you’ll explore some of the aspects of 10 GbE.

Learning Objectives

In this lab, you will examine 10 GbE options for modern network environments. When you’ve completed this lab, you will be able to

   Describe the 10GBaseT, 10GBaseSR/SW, 10GBaseLR/LW, and 10GBaseER/EW Ethernet specifications, requirements, and limitations

   Examine 10 GbE NICs

   Determine appropriate switching interfaces to implement 10 GbE backbones

Lab Materials and Setup

The materials you’ll need for this lab are

   The Mike Meyers’ CompTIA Network+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting Networks textbook

   Internet access

   Pen or pencil

   Paper

Getting Down to Business

One of the benefits of the network design the team has implemented for the regional DMV is known as future-proofing. Throughout the design and install, the highest-performance cabling has been used (Category 6a UTP, 10 GbE single-mode fiber-optic), and switches in the telecommunications room utilize modular SFP interfaces that can be upgraded as well. Running 10 GbE to the desktop is still cost-prohibitive, but implementing 10 GbE for the communication on the high-traffic servers and the backbone between the administrative building and the inspection garage may be feasible.

CJ asks Maggie to research 10 GbE solutions and to prepare a presentation of her findings, including interfaces and pricing, to the network design team. Maggie asks if it would be okay to have you assist, so the two of you set off to prepare your report.

Step 1 Using various resources such as the textbook and the Internet, research and document the following implementations of 10 GbE:

Step 2 The high-traffic servers are located in the telecommunications room, so copper or fiber-optic solutions are feasible. Research the current availability of network interface cards supporting 10 GbE technology. Document some of the makes and models, characteristics, and pricing:

What do you recommend: copper or fiber-optic technology? Why?

Step 3 Using online manufacturers’ and resellers’ Web sites, explore the various SFF 10 GbE interfaces available. Document the make, model, characteristics, and pricing as if you are shopping for the modular transceivers for the switches to implement the link between the administrative building and the inspection garage:

30 MINUTES

Lab Exercise 5.04: Beyond 10 Gigabit Ethernet: 40/100 Gigabit Ethernet

You thought we were done with Ethernet speed improvements after learning about 10 Gigabit Ethernet used by servers in data centers and WAN connections? Well, think again! In 2010, the latest and greatest standard of Ethernet was defined. It was the first standard to include two different speeds for Ethernet, 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps, and is referred to as 40/100 Gigabit Ethernet (40/100 GbE).

Why in the world would we need Ethernet to go that fast? Why in the world were two speeds included in the same standard? You’ll answer those questions and more in this lab.

Learning Objectives

In this lab, you will delve into 40/100 GbE. When you’ve completed this lab, you will be able to

   Describe the motivations for this standard

   Explain the different parts of this standard

   Look toward the potential successor of 40/100 GbE

Lab Materials and Setup

The materials you’ll need for this lab are

   The Mike Meyers’ CompTIA Network+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting Networks textbook

   Internet access

   Pen or pencil

   Paper

Getting Down to Business

Before you run to your computer store and ask for a 40/100 Gbps NIC for your laptop, you need to understand that the standard isn’t concerned with Local Area Networks. When a speed limit from a highway is raised, it has nothing to do with the speed limits on the local streets. Furthermore, certain types of vehicles on the road, like police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances, are authorized to move quicker than the general public. Think of the highway as a Wide Area Network, and think of special vehicles as servers as you answer the following questions.

Step 1 Using an Internet search engine, find the motivation for each of the two new speeds of Ethernet.

Step 2 Who is IEEE P802.3ba, and what were their objectives?

Step 3 40GBaseKR4 and 100GBASE-KP4 are two of the many standards used for 40/100 GbE. What are the others?

Step 4 On March 27, 2014, the IEEE P802.3bs 400 Gb/s Ethernet Task Force was established. Yes, you read that right. This new Task Force is looking into 400 gigabit per second Ethernet!

Why do you think this Task Force is looking to make such a humongous jump from 100 Gbps to 400 Gbps?

Lab Analysis

1. Doug has decided to install CAT 6 UTP cabling in a small office so that they may upgrade to 10GBaseT in the future without having to “pull” cable again. Are there any concerns you would voice to Doug before he installs the CAT 6 cable?

2. April is going to implement Gigabit Ethernet for a small office, home office (SOHO) campus. What kind of network cabling is necessary to implement Gigabit Ethernet?

3. Sandy is studying fiber-optic technology and asks what the major differences are between 10GBaseSR and 10GBaseLR. Can you explain the difference?

4. Will understands that high data-throughput speeds and longer throughput distances are two advantages of fiber-optic cabling over copper cabling. He doesn’t understand why the cable installers are recommending the use of fiber-optic cable for the machine shop of a local high school. Can you describe two other advantages that fiber-optic cabling offers over copper wire that would help him understand?

Key Term Quiz

Use the vocabulary terms from the list below to complete the sentences that follow.

1000BaseT

10GBaseSR

full-duplex

gigabit interface converter (GBIC)

modular transceivers

small form-factor pluggable (SFP)

SFP+

X2

XENPAK

XFP

1. The specification for 10-gigabit technology that uses 850 nm lasers over 50 and 62.5 multimode fiber (MMF) cable is _______________.

2. The IEEE 802.3ae committee developed a multisource agreement (MSA) to define the 10 GbE modular transceiver. These specs are now incorporated into the revisions of the IEEE 802.3-2008. There are four versions of 10 GbE modular transceivers. The _______________, _______________, _______________, and the _______________ are all vying for market share.

3. A(n) _______________ device is one that can send and receive data simultaneously.

4. To implement _______________, CAT 5e or higher UTP cabling must be installed, although new installs should use either CAT 6 or CAT 6a.

5. Many Gigabit Ethernet switches support _______________ to allow support of the ever-increasing speeds. The two dominant forms of these switches are _______________ and _______________.