Introduction to Ethernet
Ethernet is a wired communication technology. It is frequently used in both residential and commercial applications where a wireless network might be undesirable due to one or more of the following reasons:
- A need to implement communications without interfering with sensitive equipment, such as medical equipment
- A need to support much higher speeds than is possible over wireless networks
- A need to communicate through thick walls
- A need to provide power to devices while also communicating, using a technology called Power-over-Ethernet (PoE)
Ethernet networks comprise a switch or router and devices.
A network switch creates a dedicated network and enables communication between devices on the network. A switch might have a connection to the internet, in which case the switch will enable the devices to connect to the internet.
A network router enables connectivity between multiple networks. Routers might also serve as firewalls...
