NETGEAR Next 300 Mbps Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter WN121T User Manual

Wired Ethernet

As Gigabit Ethernet ports become common on newer computers, wired Ethernet remains a good choice for speed, economy, and security. Gigabit Ethernet can extend up to 100 meters with twisted-pair wiring of CAT-5e or better. A wired connection is not susceptible to interference, and eavesdropping would require a physical connection to your network.

Note: Actual data throughput will vary. Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and

network overhead, can lower actual data throughput rate.

Assessing Your Speed Requirements

Because your Internet connection is likely to operate at a much lower speed than your local network, faster local networking technologies may not improve your Internet experience. However, many emerging home applications require high data rates. For example:

Streaming HD video requires 10 to 30 Mbps per stream. Because latency and packet loss can disrupt your video, plan to provide at least twice the capacity you need.

Streaming MP3 audio requires less than 1 Mbps per stream and does not strain most modern networks. Like video, however, streaming audio is also sensitive to latency and packet loss, so a congested network or a noisy link can cause problems.

Backing up computers over the network has become popular due to the availability of inexpensive mass storage. Table 3-1shows the time to transfer one gigabyte (1 GB) of data using various networking technologies.

Table 3-1. Theoretical Transfer Time for 1 Gigabyte

Network Connection

Theoretical Raw Transfer Time

 

 

Gigabit Wired Ethernet

8 seconds

 

 

RangeMax NEXT Wireless-N

26 seconds

 

 

Powerline HD

40 seconds

 

 

100 Mbps Wired Ethernet

80 seconds

 

 

802.11g wireless

150 seconds

 

 

802.11b wireless

700 seconds

 

 

10 Mbps Wired Ethernet

800 seconds

 

 

Cable Modem (3 Mbps)

2700 seconds

 

 

Analog Modem (56 kbps)

144,000 seconds (40 hours)

 

 

3-5

v2.0, February 2007

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NETGEAR WN121T user manual Assessing Your Speed Requirements, Wired Ethernet