Tech QOTD : Speed? No, it’s DTR we really care about…. (Network+)

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Tech Question of the Day (Network+): Watch the video. Answer the questions carefully.
(see answer below and video response.)

Transcript
Here we have a gigabit Ethernet router (AC5400 wireless). The ports on the back are known as Ethernet gigabit ports. Now let’s get more specific.
Question: What two technical specifications can be used to describe these ports and the cabling that connects to them?
Hint: One of them is an IEEE standard – the other is essentially its equivalent, but dealing with the physical layer portion.
 




Answer

The answers I am looking for are IEEE 802.3ab and 1000BASE-T. These define gigabit Ethernet data transmission over copper cabling (namely twisted pair). They require Cat 5 cable or higher to operate properly, but really, Cat 5e or higher is recommended. The maximum data transfer rate (DTR) using this technology is 1000 Mbps (aka 1 Gbps). This is not the speed though many refer to it that way. The actual “speed” is the frequency used by the physical cabling plant. For example, a Cat 6a cable can have a frequency of 550 MHz. That is the amount of oscillations (or cycles) over the cable per second. This frequency is constant, whereas the DTR can change over time depending on several factors. Watch the video for the full answer.

Video Solution:

https://youtu.be/BgKrDhoodjs?t=1m8s


Check out the CompTIA Network+ N10-006 Complete Video Course by Kevin Wallace here.