Goings-on with Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet

By Phil Hochmuth, NetworkWorld.com, 08/01/03

Ten Gigabit Ethernet over copper got a little closer to reality recently as progress was made on the standards front. Meanwhile, a components maker said it will have a stackable LAN switch reference design available for switch OEMs in the fall.

The IEEE's 802.3ak Task Force got a step closer to moving the standard to a "sponsor ballot" status - which, in IEEE-speak, means "almost done." The Task Force is working out the kinks for a standard that specifies running 10G bit/sec of Ethernet traffic over CX4, or four pairs of twinaxial copper wiring (remember those older AS/400 networks?). This 10Gbase-CX4 technology would be used for connecting servers or switches over short distances - under 300 feet - and is expected to cost half of what a fiber-based 10 Gigabit Ethernet port sells for (as much as $70,000 from some vendors).

Also last week, Broadcom announced that it will soon have a LAN switch reference design for equipment makers that includes 10Base-CX4 ports. The switch would include 24 or 48 Gigabit Ethernet ports and several copper 10 Gigabit ports. Broadcom's product would be sold to switch vendors - most major LAN gear makers use Broadcom reference designs or silicon - who would add other features to the product and slap on their own label and software. The switch reference design is based on the draft of the 802.3ak standard.

It may seem that Broadcom is jumping the gun, as the IEEE standards crafters still have their sleeves rolled up working figuring out how 10Gbase-CX4 will work. But remember that switch vendors has fiber-based 10 Gigabit Ethernet gear on the market a year before the standard was set.

Meanwhile, switch vendors continued to roll out Gigabit LAN gear with very attractive pricing and features.

SMC released its TigerSwitch SMC8612T, a 12-port 10/100/1000M bit/sec box priced at $1200, or around $100 per port. In addition to fast ports, the box is also manageable with features such as RMON, and supports SSL encryption and Layer 2 QoS.

For those who just want cheap, fast ports, D-Link offered up the GigaExpress DGS-1005D, a five-Port Gigabit Ethernet switch, and the eight-port DGS-1008D Gig switch. Both are available for $150 and $200, respectively.

Just think - it wasn't long ago that copper Gigabit Ethernet was in the $200 to $500 per-port range. What will you be paying for 10 Gig over copper in the next three to five years?

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