Ethernet A newer version of Ethernet, called 100Base-T (or Fast Ethernet), supports data transfer rates of 100 Mbps.

And the newest version, Gigabit Ethernet supports data rates of 1 gigabit (1,000 megabits) per second. A networking standard that supports data transfer rates up to 100 Mbps (100 megabits per second). 100BASE-T is based on the older Ethernet standard. Because it is 10 times faster than Ethernet, it is often referred to as Fast Ethernet. Officially, the 100BASE-T standard is IEEE 802.3u. Like Ethernet, 100BASE-T is based on the CSMA/CD LAN access method. There are several different cabling schemes that can be used with 100BASE-T, including: 100BASE-TX: two pairs of high-quality twisted-pair wires 100BASE-T4: four pairs of normal-quality twisted-pair wires 100BASE-FX: fiber optic cables

Gigabit Ethernet
Abbreviated GbE, a version of Ethernet, which supports data transfer rates of 1 Gigabit (1,000 megabits) per second. The first Gigabit Ethernet standard (802.3z) was ratified by the IEEE 802.3 Committee in 1998.

gigabit
(1) When used to describe data storage, 1,024 megabits. (2) When used to describe data transfer rates, it refers to 10 to the 9th power (1,000,000,000) bits. Gigabit is abbreviated Gb, as opposed to gigabyte, which is abbreviated GB.

Wireless Network Security

A wireless network can open up a whole new world of opportunities and extend access to information for your family or your company well beyond the traditional confines of a PC tethered to a power outlet and Ethernet connection.

Network Security Appliances

a network server appliance is a typically inexpensive personal computer (sometimes called a thin client) that enables Internet access and some businessrelated activities. Applications used on network appliances typically are housed on a Web server accessed by the appliance. Network Appliance Security Tools intrusion prevention system An IPS, or intrusion prevention system is used in computer security. It provides policies and rules for network traffic along with an intrusion detection system for alerting system

intrusion detection system An intrusion detection system (IDS) inspects all inbound and outbound network activity and identifies suspicious patterns that may indicate a network or system attack from someone attempting to break into or compromise a system. (VPN) virtual private network: A network that is constructed by using public wires to connect nodes. firewall: A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a combination of both. antivirus scanning A utility that searches a hard disk for viruses and removes any that are found. Most antivirus include an auto-update feature that enables the program to download profiles of new viruses so that it can check for the new viruses as soon as they are discovered. content/spam filter pattern through which data is passed. Only data that matches the pattern is allowed to pass through the filter. In this case the filters would block based on a list of Web sites, blocking illegal, objectionable or non-business-related content .
Network Topology refers to layout of a network and how different nodes in a network are connected to each other and how they communicate. This slideshow describes five of the most common network topologies. 1. Mesh Topology: In a mesh network, devices are connected with many redundant interconnections between network nodes. In a true mesh topology every node has a connection to every other node in the network. There are two types of mesh topologies:

Full mesh topology occurs when every node has a circuit connecting it to every other node in a network. Full mesh is very expensive to implement but yields the greatest amount of redundancy, so in the event that one of those nodes fails, network traffic can be directed to any of the other nodes. Full mesh is usually reserved for backbone networks. Partial mesh topology is less expensive to implement and yields less redundancy than full mesh topology. With partial mesh, some nodes are organized in a full mesh scheme but others are only connected to one or two in the network. Partial mesh topology is commonly found in peripheral networks connected to a full meshed backbone.

What Type of Network Do I Need?

if you're just getting started with setting up your own network for either your home or business, the seemingly endless array of possibilities and decisions to make can be daunting. The good news is that actually deploying your network is often less problematic than getting an initial handle on what your network needs for operation. We can help you narrow down the options and streamline the decision-making process for you. Let's start with the key decision of selecting a wired versus wireless network before moving on to wireless network standard considerations and the types of equipment youll need.