Because this newsletter concentrates on "high-speed LANs," a lot of what's covered here is aimed at users with high bandwidth needs - and enough dough to get those needs met. But what if your bandwidth needs aren't so high?
Say you have lots of shared 10M bit/sec Ethernet today. You start getting high utilization rates, so you want to upgrade your network. Gigabit Ethernet is all about bandwidth, but very few applications really need that much today. Switched 10M bit/sec is cheap, nearly as cheap as shared 10M bit/sec.
Don't forget that hubs can be had these days for something like $10 a port. It's getting to the point where the sheet metal is the biggest part of what it costs to produce hubs. If all you're running are basic office applications, there is something to be said for taking the cheap road. If you want to plan for real-time applications, such as voice, switches might be a better fit.
Network World, 05/17/99
Gigabit copper pedal to metal
Network World, 05/10/99
Can't say enough about Gigabit Ethernet
Network World Fusion, 4/5/99
Tech Update: Readying copper pipes for Gigabit Ethernet
Network World, 4/5/99
Net Resources: Gigabit Ethernet, includes articles and primers
Archive of Network World on High Speed LANs newsletters
