Home > Articles > Certification > CompTIA

Network+ Exam Prep: Ethernet Networking Standards

Jul 28, 2009

📄 Contents

␡

Introduction
Characteristics Specified in the IEEE 802 Standards
Differentiating Between Baseband and Broadband Signaling
802.3 Ethernet Standards
Summary
Apply Your Knowledge

⎙ Print

< Back Page 6 of 6

This chapter is from the book 

CompTIA Network+ N10-004 Exam Prep, 3rd Edition

Learn More Buy

Apply Your Knowledge

Exercise

6.1 Network recommendations

Understanding the commonly used IEEE 802.3 networking standards is an important part of a network administrator's knowledge. It allows the administrator to understand the current network as well as plan for future needs. In this exercise you are going to do just that.

You have been called in to make recommendations for an organization called ACME enterprises. Recently ACME has seen huge growth in sales. ACME currently has a single office but needs to expand to include two more offices around town.

Both branch offices will be about 5 to 10 kilometers away. ACME currently uses Category 5e cable and wants to continue using its current infrastructure to save cost. ACME has asked for a detailed table outlining its network options.

Complete the following steps:

Step 1: Complete the following table to identify potential solutions for ACME.
Step 2: Write a simple report to ACME outlining your recommendations for their future network needs. Explain why you are making the recommendation.

In the following table, some of the common standards are listed, but various pieces of information are missing. Your task is to complete the table. You can check your answers against the information provided in the solution table.

Standard	Speed	Baseband or Broadband	Media	Maximum Distance
	1000Mbps		UTP	100 meters
10Base2
			50 micron multimode fiber	300 meters
1000BaseSX			Single-mode fiber
				40,000 meters
	100Mbps		UTP	100 meters
1000BaseCX
10GBaseSW
10GBaseLW
10GBaseEW

Solution Table

Standard	Speed	Baseband or Broadband	Media	Maximum Distance
1000BaseT	1000Mbps	Base	UTP	100 meters
10Base2	10Mbps	Base	Thin Coax	185 meters
10GbaseSR	10Gbps	Base	50 micron multimode fiber	300 meters
1000BaseSX	1000Mbps	Base	Single-mode fiber	5,000 meters
10GbaseER	10Gbps	Base	Single-mode fiber	40,000 meters
100BaseTX	100Mbps	Base	UTP	100 meters

Exam Questions

Which of the following 10 Gigabit Ethernet standards has the greatest maximum transmission distance?

	A. 10GBaseSR
	B. 10GBaseER
	C. 10GBaseLR
	D. 10GBaseXR

What kind of access method is CSMA/CD?

	A. Contention
	B. Demand priority
	C. Collision avoidance
	D. Token passing

Which of the following IEEE specifications does CSMA/CD relate to?

	A. 802.2
	B. 802.3
	C. 802.4
	D. 802.5

You need to connect two servers located 600 meters apart. You require a direct connection without the use of signal regeneration. Which of the following ethernet standards would you employ?

	A. 10BaseT with Category 5e cable
	B. 100BaseT with Category 6 cable
	C. 100BaseT with Category 5e cable
	D. 100BaseFX

You have been called as a consultant for OsCorp. They currently have a network using Category 6 cable and need 10-gigabit network speeds. Which of the following statements are true?

	A. This is not possible with this cable.
	B. This is possible but with transmission distance limited to 100 meters.
	C. This is possible but with transmission distance limited to 55 meters.
	D. This is possible but with transmission distance limited to 155 meters.

You have been asked to develop the specifications for a new storage wide area network. The new link will provide a direct connection between two office blocks 3,200 meters apart. The specifications call for the fastest connection possible using currently ratified standards. Which of the following 802.3 standards are you most likely to recommend?

	A. 100BaseFX
	B. 10GBaseER
	C. 10GBaseSR
	D. 10GBaseWR

Which of the following standards can be implemented over multimode fiber with a transmission range of 300 meters?

	A. 10GBaseSW
	B. 10GBaseEW
	C. 10GBaseLW
	D. 10GBaseRW

Which of the following ethernet standards is associated with 802.3an?

	A. 10BaseT
	B. 1000BaseTX
	C. 1000BaseT
	D. 10GBaseT

As a network administrator, you have been asked to recommend a networking standard that can support data transfers of up to 100Mbps using the existing Category 3 cable and the CSMA/CD access method. Which of the following best suits your needs?

	A. 100BaseTX
	B. 100BaseFX
	C. 100BaseVG-AnyLAN
	D. 100BaseT4

Which of the following standards are specified by 802.3u? (Select all that apply.)

	A. 100BaseFL
	B. 100BaseFX
	C. 100BaseTX
	D. 100BaseT4

Which of the following are associated with IEEE 802.3z? (Choose the three best answers.)

	A. 1000BaseLX
	B. 1000BaseCX
	C. 1000BaseBX
	D. 1000BaseSX

Which of the following media types offers the greatest distance?

	A. 10GBaseT
	B. 1000BaseCX
	C. 1000BaseT
	D. 10GBaseLW

What is the maximum transfer distance defined by the 1000BaseT standard?

	A. 250 meters
	B. 100 meters
	C. 1,000 meters
	D. 550 meters

Which of the following is an advantage of 100BaseFX over 100BaseTX?

	A. 100BaseFX is faster than 100BaseTX.
	B. 100BaseFX implementations are cheaper than 100BaseTX implementations.
	C. 100BaseFX can be implemented over existing Category 3 or 4 UTP cabling.
	D. 100BaseFX can be implemented over greater distances than 100BaseTX.

Which of the following standards can be implemented over copper cable? (Select two.)

	A. 1000BaseCX
	B. 1000BaseSW
	C. 10GBaseT
	D. 10GBaseLW

Which of the following is true of the 802.3ab standard?

	A. Specifies 1-gigabit transfer over Category 5 cable
	B. Specifies 100-megabit transfer over Category 5 cable
	C. Specifies 1-gigabit transfer over Category 4 cable
	D. Specifies 200-megabit transfer over Category 4 cable

You are a network administrator for a large company. Transfer speeds have been too slow, and you have been asked to recommend a 1000Mbps network solution. The network requires a transfer distance of 3,500 meters. Which of the following would you recommend?

	A. 1000BaseCX
	B. 1000BaseLX
	C. 1000BaseBX
	D. 1000BaseSX

Which fiber-optic mode allows the fastest transfer rates?

	A. SC
	B. ST
	C. Single mode
	D. Multimode

You have been asked to recommend a network solution to a large organization. They are requesting a network solution that must allow for 10-gigabit speeds but uses the existing Category 6 infrastructure. Which of the following might you recommend?

	A. 802.3ae
	B. 10GBaseCX
	C. 802.3an
	D. 1000BaseLX

Baseband sends transmissions in which of the following forms?

	A. Digital
	B. Analog
	C. Digital and analog
	D. RF

Answers to Exam Questions

B. The 10GBaseER standard specifies a maximum transmission distance of 40,000 meters. The 10GBaseSR standard specifies a maximum transmission distance of 300 meters, whereas 10GBaseLR specifies a maximum transmission distance of 10,000 meters. 10GBaseXR is not a recognized 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard. For more information, see the section "10 Gigabit Ethernet," in this chapter.
A. CSMA/CD is described as a contention-based media access method because devices contend for access. All the other answers are incorrect. For more information, see the section "Characteristics Specified in the IEEE 802 Standards" in this chapter.
B. The IEEE 802.3 standard defines the ethernet networking system, which uses CSMA/CD as its media access method. 802.2 defines specifications for the LLC sublayer of the 802 standard series. 802.4 defines the use of a token-passing system on a linear bus topology. 802.5 defines token ring networking. For more information, see the section "Introduction" in this chapter.
D. 100BaseFX has the potential to transmit distances that exceed 600 meters. However, to reach distances of 600 meters, you'd need to use single-mode fiber. Of the other standards, 100BaseT can reach only 550 meters when using Category 5e or Category 6 cabling. For more information, see the section "Fast Ethernet" in this chapter.
C. The 10GBaseT standard specifies 10-gigabit speeds over twisted-pair cable. It is possible for networks using Category 6 cable to upgrade to these speeds; however, the transmission range is limited to 55 meters with Category 6 cable. Transmission range is limited to 100 meters with Category 6a cable. For more information, see the section "10GBaseT" in this chapter.
B. The 10GBaseER standard provides 10GBps transmission speeds over distances up to 10,000 meters. It is a currently ratified IEEE 802.3 standard. 100BaseFX runs at only 100Mbps, which makes it the slowest of the technologies listed in the answer. 10GBaseSR can be used only over distances up to 330 meters. 10GBaseWR is not a recognized 10Gbps standard. For more information, see the section "10GBaseER/EW" in this chapter.
A. 10GBaseSR/SW is designed for LAN or MAN implementations, with a maximum distance of 300 meters using 50 micron multimode fiber cabling. 10BaseSR can also be implemented with 62.5 micron multimode fiber cabling but is limited to 33 meters. For more information, see the section "10GBaseSR/SW" in this chapter.
D. Many sub-standards fall under the 802.3 ethernet banner. One is the 802.3an standard for 10GBaseT networking. The 10GBaseT standard calls for 10-gigabit networking over Category 6 or 6a twisted-pair cable. For more information, see the section "10GBaseT" in this chapter.
D. 100BaseT4 is a Fast Ethernet standard that can use existing Category 3 cable and have transmission speeds of up to 100Mbps. 100BaseVG-AnyLAN can also use Category 3 cable, but it uses a demand priority access method. 100BaseTX requires Category 5 cable, and 100BaseFX uses fiber-optic cable. For more information, see the section "100BaseT4" in this chapter.
B, C, D. Fast Ethernet standards are specified in the IEEE 802.3u standard. Three standards are defined by 802.3u: 100BaseTX, 100BaseT4, and 100BaseFX. Of the three, the FX standard uses fiber-optic cable. For more information on the 802.3u standards, see the section "Fast Ethernet" in this chapter.
A, B, D. Three standards are associated with 802.3z: 1000BaseLX, 1000BaseSX, and 1000BaseCX. 1000BaseBX is not a valid standard. For more information, see the section "1000BaseX" in this chapter.
D. The 10GBaseLW standard is designed to be used over long-wavelength single-mode fiber, giving it a potential transmission range of anywhere from 2 meters to 10 kilometers. This transmission range makes the standard available for LAN, MAN, and WAN deployments. For more information, see the section "10GBaseLR/LW" in this chapter.
B. The 1000BaseT standard uses copper cable and specifies a segment maximum of 100 meters. For more information, see the section "1000BaseT" in this chapter.
D. 100BaseFX is a Fast Ethernet standard implemented on fiber-optic cabling. It is more expensive and more difficult to install than 100BaseTX, which uses twisted-pair cabling. Both standards have a maximum speed of 100Mbps; however, 100BaseFX can be used over greater distance than 100BaseTX. For more information, see the section "Fast Ethernet" in this chapter.
A, C. High-speed standards specify twisted-pair cable for transfer. The drawback is shorter transmission range. The 1000BaseCX standard calls for STP copper and is limited to 25 meters. The 10GBaseT standard calls for Category 6/6a cable and is limited to 55 and 100 meters, respectively. For more information, see the sections "1000BaseX" and "10GBaseT" in this chapter.
A. The 802.3ab standard specifies Gigabit Ethernet over Category 5 UTP cable. The standard allows for full-duplex transmission using the four pairs of twisted cable. To reach speeds of 1000Mbps over copper, a data transmission speed of 250Mbps is achieved over each pair of twisted-pair cable. For more information, see the section "1000BaseT" in this chapter.
B. 1000BaseLX can transmit up to 5,000 meters, using single-mode fiber. The other standards listed operate over much shorter distances. For more information, see the section "1000BaseX" in this chapter.
C. Single-mode fiber allows faster transfer rate than multimode fiber and supports longer data transmissions. SC and ST are types of fiber connectors, not types of cable. For more information, see Table 6.6 in this chapter.
C. The 802.3an standard specifies 10-gigabit transfer speeds over copper cable. 10GBaseT offers these speeds over both Category 6 and 6a cable. For more information, see the section "10GBaseT" in this chapter.
A. Baseband transmissions use digital signaling. Analog signaling is associated with broadband. For more information, see the section "Baseband" in this chapter.

< Back Page 6 of 6

🔖 Save To Your Account

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Privacy Notice

Overview

Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information

To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information

Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security

Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children

This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing

Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information

If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out

Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information

Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents

California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure

Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

As required by law.
With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links

This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact

Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice

We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020

Email Address