Now that SMC is shipping 10Gb switches, I am wondering what is the theoretical limit of the speed of Ethernet? As in CPU and Moore's Law, there has to be a limit before the physical support of Ethernet cabling cannot make the speed any faster. But where? Can it reach terabits per second?
Per Network+ 2005: 10GBASE-SR (10 Gigabits per second)relies on multimode fiber and transmits signals with wavelengths of 850 nonometers (SR stands for "short reach"). 10GBASE-SR relies on multimode fiber and transmits signals with wavelengths of 850 nanometers; the maximum segment lenght on a 10GBASE-SR network depends on the diameter of the fibers used. It also depnes on the modal bandwith used. A second standard defined in IEEE 802.3ae is 10GBASE-LR (LR stands for long reach). 10GBASE-LR carries signals with wavelengths of 1310 nanometers through singlemode fiber. Its maximum segment length is 10,000 meters. A third 10-gigabit option is 10GBASE-ER (ER stands for extended reach). Like 10GBASE-LR, this standard requires single mode fiber, through which it transmits signals with wavelengths of 1550 nanometers. It allows for segments up to 40,000 meters, or nearly 25 miles. Doc
