Linksys EFAH16W User Guide - Page 4

Instant EtherFast® Series About Fast Ethernet As the demand for desktop video, multimedia development, imaging, and other speed-intensive applications continues to rise, the need for high performance, fault tolerant LAN technology will become more critical. Standard Ethernet, which has been the most popular networking technology to date with a maximum data throughput of 10 Megabits per second, is becoming insufficient to handle the latest video, multimedia, and other speedintensive client/server LAN applications. Among the solutions to the problem of network speed, Fast Ethernet has emerged as the most viable and economical. Capable of sending and receiving data at 100 Megabits per second, it is more than fast enough to handle even the most demanding video and other real-time applications. Although there are a number of different competing Fast Ethernet implementations, 100BaseTX is by far the most popular. Operating on two pairs of UTP Category 5 unshielded twisted-pair cabling, 100BaseTX supports high speed signaling and is relatively inexpensive. Because it uses four wires for data transmission and the same packet format, packet length, error control, and management information as 10BaseT. This backward compatibility is one of 100BaseTX's major advantages over other forms of Fast Ethernet; it allows critical, speed-dependent network segments to be upgraded to 100BaseTX speeds as needed without re-wiring, refitting, and retraining an entire site. Networks can now mix both slow and fast network segments for different users or departments. Publishing, R&D, video, multimedia, or accounting departments can enjoy a 100Mbps pace, while other corporate segments can operate at slower and more affordable 10Mbps speeds. Every port on your 10/100 Workgroup Hub is capable of running at either 10Mbps or 100Mbps, allowing you to mix and match economical 10BaseT hardware with high performance 100Mbps network cards, hubs, switches, and other equipment. 10/100 Workgroup Hubs Getting to Know the 10/100 Workgroup Hubs Package Contents • One EtherFast 10/100 Workgroup Hub (EFAH16W v2 shown) • One AC Adapter • User Guide and Registration Card LEDs PWR 100 (per port) Link/Act (per port) (EFAH05W v2 shown) The Power LED will illuminate when the the hub is receiving power. The 100 LED will illuminate if the port is operating at 100Mbps. The LED will be off if the port is running at 10Mbps. The Link/Act LED will illuminate if the port has an active network connection. The LED will flicker if the port is receiving or sending data. 2 3