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Get Plugged in to Ethernet’s Next Era
Today’s IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard consists of 126 clauses and associated annexes that spans 8 sections or approximately 5600 pages. The IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group produces these Ethernet standards,…
PAM4 is Here!
We are at a unique point in Ethernet’s history. During the development of IEEE Std 802.3bs™-2017 for 200 GbE and 400 GbE, a critical decision was made to shift from…
On the Go with Ethernet
Ethernet’s roots in the enterprise space are undeniable. The development of 1000BASE-T is considered by many to be the most successful Ethernet project ever.  Nonetheless, Ethernet’s expansion into new application…
The Quest
When the journey to 100 Gigabit Ethernet began over 10 years ago, the question was often asked when would native 100 Gb/s Ethernet be specified? Flash forward to 2018 and…
In Search of Ethernet’s Holy Grail
OFC 2018 will be remembered by many as the coming out party for 400 Gb/s Ethernet. And while that would be a fair assessment of the show, in reality this…
Interested in certifying your PoE? Don’t miss this webinar: Introducing the Ethernet Alliance Power over Ethernet Certification
In order to reach their true potential, all “standards-based” solutions require an easy way to identify interoperable systems. Otherwise, a promising solution is held back over confusion and/or fear. Such…
Highlights from OFC 2018 Show Floor
If you only had one hour to spend at this year’s Optical Fiber Conference in San Diego, you could not have spent it better than by visiting the Ethernet Alliance…
A Deep Dive into the 802.3bs 200GBASE-R and 400GBASE-R PCS/PMA
The Physical Coding Sublayer (PCS) is responsible for the encoding of data bits into code groups for transmission via the Physical Medium Attachment (PMA) and the subsequent decoding of these…
50 GbE at OFC
This year’s OFC multi-vendor interoperability demonstration is one of the biggest undertakings in the history of the Ethernet Alliance. With 400GbE taking OFC by storm this year, the Ethernet Alliance…
My journey on the Ethernet Highway
I have had many roles in the Ethernet community. I was that green-kid who showed up for his first meeting, not really sure what he was getting himself into. I…
OFC2018 – Ethernet Alliance’s Next Ethernet Era Tour-De-Force
Everyone will be talking about 400 Gigabit Ethernet (400GbE) at this year’s OFC, but it is a journey that began five years ago for the Ethernet community.   This trek culminated…
The 200GMII / 400GMII Extenders
During the development of the underlying architecture, it was recognized that the system needed to be inherently flexible, as it would provide the foundation for future specifications. Developing solutions for…
The IEEE 802.3bs 200GbE and 400GbE Architecture
The development of the underlying architecture that will be the foundation of a new Ethernet rate family is perhaps the most crucial aspect of such a project.   The architecture must…
The Hazards of Passive PoE
There is nothing more frustrating for the consumer or end-user than when they open up a product thinking it worked with a standard only to find that there are interoperability issues. This…
Introducing 200 GbE & 400 GbE
Welcome 200 GbE and 400GbE At the the IEEE-SA December 2017 Standards Board Meeting, IEEE Std 802.3bs™-2017, which specifies 200 Gigabit and 400 Gigabit Ethernet operation, was ratified. In moving…
Is your PoE Certified? First Ethernet Alliance PoE Certified Products Announced
Earlier this week the Ethernet Alliance announced the first participants in its Power over Ethernet (PoE) Certification Program, as well as the first 37 products to be certified.  The program participants include Analog…
Power to the People – Delivering on the Promise of PoE
The Ethernet community never stops innovating. We’re always pushing the boundaries, finding new ways of advancing this important technology that has become the cornerstone of today’s high-speed networks. As we…
Stepping on the Gas – Ethernet goes High Speed at OFC 2017
For me, the OFC 2017 Ethernet Alliance booth perfectly captures the mood of the show overall, including demand for ever-higher speeds, and their implications and requirements. There continues to be…
Ethernet ecosystem driven by applications, not speed alone
In an article recently published in Network World Dave Chalupsky, a member of the Ethernet Alliance board of directors, describes how Ethernet applications now drive new Ethernet incarnations. Chalupsky articulates…
“The future of Ethernet, one of the highest quality, market relevant Standards on the planet Earth”
Let’s wind the clock back 35 years to see where we’ve come from in order to predict where we’re going in the next 10 years. The 802.3 Ethernet standard has…
Testing and measurement: a pillar of the Ethernet ecosystem
Nimble T&M companies support Ethernet’s new speeds and applications A new article describing the critical role of test and measurement in a rapidly expanding Ethernet ecosystem, written by the Alliance’s…
“Toward Standardized 25 Gigabit Ethernet” by Mark Nowell, Cisco Systems, in Network Computing
Standardization of IEEE 25 Gigabit per second Ethernet (25 GbE) is underway on multiple fronts, and Mark Nowell, vice president of the Ethernet Alliance board of directors and senior director…
2.5 Gbps and 5 Gbps Ethernet Goes Mainstream
Peter Jones, NBASE-T Alliance Chairman It always amazes me how new innovations keep propelling our industry forward. Less than two years ago when the NBASE-T Alliance was founded, there was…
Commitment to Interoperability
By John D’Ambrosia, Chairman, Ethernet Alliance “You plug it in, and it works!” The footprint of Ethernet end users overlays almost every industry and every market around the world. It’s…
Killer Video of Ethernet Speeds
By Scott Kipp, President, Ethernet Alliance The Ethernet Alliance is pleased to present our new animated video presenting the long and winding Ethernet road to terabit speeds. Check it out…
QSFP28 and CFP: Out with the Old and in with the New
By Ken Van Orman, Senior Product Manager Hardware and Platforms, Spirent Communications In this year’s Ethernet Alliance OFC demo, QSFP28 makes an appearance and CFP takes a bow. This reflects…
Ethernet Alliance Demonstrates High Performance Computing (HPC) Solutions at SC14
SC14 will take place in New Orleans from November 17 – 20, 2014. In preparation, the Ethernet Alliance held a hot-stage event last week to prepare a live demonstration to…
What’s all this talk about a rate debate?
By Paul Nikolich, Chairman, IEEE 802 LMSC 802 LMSC Standards: market relevant, high quality and transparent– what a combination! One of the characteristics that distinguish the 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee…
Ethernet: Evolving at the Rate of Innovation
Last year, while preparing to celebrate Ethernet’s 40th anniversary, I pressed Bob Metcalfe, the father of Ethernet, to define Ethernet for me. Bob’s answer has stood out in my head…
5 New Speeds – 2.5, 5, 25, 50 and 400 GbE
While I used to be able to count the number of relevant Ethernet speeds on my right hand (100 Mb/s, 1, 10, 40, and 100 Gb/s), I now need all…
What’s a PoE logo for, anyway?
I just read Jonathan Seckler’s post on Power over Ethernet (PoE) Logo Certification, and it got me thinking – what is a logo for, anyway? The most successful industry logos…
Join the Conversation: Innovation of Ethernet – PoE Logo Certification
It’s a mistake to think of innovation as the crazy Dr. Frankenstein-like character in his lab, creating life from random components. Today, technology is just too complex; if an innovator…
TEF 2014: The Rate Debate
The recent request to do a “Call-for-Interest” in the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group at the upcoming IEEE 802 July Plenary to address 25 Gigabit Ethernet is an interesting development…
The Industry Discussion – 100GbE over a Single Lambda!
This week the Ethernet Alliance, along with its partner the OIDA, is hosting a workshop on June 12-13 at the San Jose Convention Center to explore 100 Gigabit Ethernet per…
The 100GbE Lambda Workshop – Minimizing the Risk
OIDA is pleased to co-host with Ethernet Alliance the upcoming joint workshop on 100GbE per lambda for data centers, and it promises to be different from other workshops that OIDA…
100Gbps per lambda workshop is most timely
Questions on 100GbE on a single lambda? We’ve got plenty. Straightforward NRZ signaling probably won’t get us there. So what type of advanced modulation would be the best choice? How…
Single Twisted Pair: The Next Frontier
These days, a speed of 1Gb/s doesn’t seem particularly fast. With the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group creating standards on speeds of 40Gb/s, 100Gb/s and now 400Gb/s, 1Gb/s is an…
400 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) Project Approved
Yesterday, the IEEE P802.3bs 400GbE Project was approved. With this approval the first Task Force meeting will be in Norfolk, VA, at the IEEE 802.3 / 802.1 Interim Meeting, which…
OFC 2014 Recap and Best-in-Show
OFC 2014 was buzzing with many new releases of 100GbE optics and 400GbE demonstrations. The 100GbE modules have definitely proliferated with demonstrations of CFP, CXP, CFP2, CFP4 and QSFP28 form…
Fast and Furious Demo at OFC 2014
The Ethernet Alliance booth at OFC 2014 showcases many of the latest advances in Ethernet technology. From 10GBASE-T to 100GbE CFP4 modules, the booth will highlight how Ethernet’s physical layer…
Targeting the Data Center – 100Gb/s Per Optical Lambda
There are times when I REALLY love this job. I am so excited to announce that the Ethernet Alliance and OIDA are partnering to host a workshop targeting the development…
Ethernet’s Future – Bright with 100% Certainty of Innovation
On October 15th and 16th the Ethernet industry gathered at the Ethernet Alliance’s Technology Exploration Forum (TEF) 2013: The Future of Ethernet. I have always looked forward to these events…
Ethernet Speeds in 2023
At the recent “Future of Ethernet” Technology Exploration Forum (TEF 2013), participants discussed various aspects of Ethernet, but none as exciting as the next speeds of Ethernet. With TEF 2013…
Ethernet: Not a Moment in Time
This weekend I was helping my oldest son with homework for his “Introduction to Geometry” class. As we were working through his first foray into proofs, I made the comment…
Synergy between IEEE 802™ Wired and Wireless technologies: Meeting in the Ether
By David Law, distinguished engineer, HP Networking; chair of the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group We live in a networked world, and it is imperative that all technologies, wired or…
Exploring the Future of Ethernet with SDN
Gilda Foss, Industry Evangelist, Office of the CTO, NetApp TEF Chairperson & Board of Directors, Ethernet Alliance As we celebrate Ethernet’s 40th Anniversary at the Technology Exploration Forum, we reminisce…
Ethernet: The Future is Now
The celebration of Ethernet’s 40th Anniversary has spanned multiple events this year. The Ethernet Alliance will be hosting its celebration Tuesday, October 15 in conjunction with its fifth Technology Exploration…
“Collaborative Vision: the role of Carrier Ethernet in the Ethernet ecosystem” Nan Chen, president MEF
Q: How does the Metro Ethernet Forum fit into the Ethernet ecosystem? What role does it serve and why? The Metro Ethernet Forum was created to accelerate the adoption of…
Ethernet for the Ages: A Discussion with Bob Metcalfe
Q: What is Ethernet? A: Ethernet began as a very high-speed packet-switching local area network (LAN) for extending the Internet into buildings to reach personal computers and their servers. However,…
A Meeting of Minds: 400GbE and OTN
Monte Carlo is a city associated with speed and Formula One racing. Since 1929 it has provided the backdrop to the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, which are run through its…
The Future of Ethernet
Ethernet Alliance presents the Technology Exploration Forum of 2013! Gilda Foss, Industry Evangelist, Office of the CTO, NetApp TEF Chairperson & Board of Directors, Ethernet Alliance The Ethernet Alliance is…
IEEE Extends EPON into New Markets
Standards for Ethernet Passive Optical Networks (EPON) reached an importantmilestone last week when the IEEE approved a new standard for Service Interoperability in EPON (SIEPON). The IEEE 1904.1 SEIPON standard…
What is Ethernet: The existential question for The Ethernet Alliance
Along with Scott Kipp, I’ll be presenting the webinar: Ethernet 101 – Introduction to Ethernet (June 27th at 9am Pacific ). This will give you a high level overview of…
Ethernet 101: Introduction to Ethernet Webinar Coming
I’m dedicating the upcoming webinar to the newbies out there who want to learn about Ethernet in an hour. I’ll be presenting this webinar with Hugh Barrass on June 27th…
Wow! Ethernet Alliance at the 2013 Interop show
The show started with a blast. With the live demo, attendees really saw the value of having an organization such as the Ethernet Alliance in place. We showcased 10/40GbE, iSCSI,…
Interop 2013 – Viva Las Vegas!
We’re winding down our preparation for the live Ethernet demonstration at Interop 2013 in Las Vegas May 6th to the 10th. This year we are focusing on 10 Gb to…
How can 400GbE Leverage 100GbE Technology to Lower Cost/bit?
Last week at the IEEE 802.3 Plenary meeting in Orlando, FL, the IEEE 802.3 400 Gb/s Ethernet (400GbE) Study Group was started with unanimous support! John D’Ambrosia, Dell (also Chair…
The Ethernet Alliance at OFC 2013 – Demonstrating. Educating. Advancing.
The mission of the Ethernet Alliance is to expand the ecosystem of Ethernet and foster the development of Ethernet technologies. We have found that one of the best places in…
New Ethernet Alliance TeraFabric Plugfest Technical White Paper Shows the Future is in Sight
The Ethernet Alliance often holds plugfests where vendors working within specific technology areas like 10GbE or Data Center Bridging come together for weeklong equipment interoperability testing, and checking and verifying…
Will 100GBASE-LR4 be the Only IEEE 100GbE Single-mode Link Type?
At the November 2012 IEEE 802.3 Plenary meeting in San Antonio, TX, several straw polls were taken to see if the 40 Gb/s and 100Gb/s Fiber Optic (802.3bm) Task Force…
The Power and Promise of Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE): A State of the Union Address By Wael William Diab
Power-hungry IT equipment generates some 150 million metric tons of CO2 annually at a global cost of $16 billion[i]. With an eye toward reducing both energy costs and our carbon…
ETHERNET ALLIANCE LAYS OUT HIGH-SPEED PATH TO SUPERCOMPUTING SUCCESS WITH SC12 DEMO
Collaborative display demonstrates Ethernet’s flexibility, reliability, and cost-effectiveness in rigorous low-latency, high-performance computing environments and applications SC12, SALT LAKE CITY, UT, November 6, 2012 – The Ethernet Alliance, a global…
TeraFabric Cabling
There are two things that are driving the need for speed in data centers: server virtualization and converged networking. Virtual machines still require the same amount of networking bandwidth as…
Driving Data Center Convergence with the Ethernet Alliance TeraFabric Interoperability Plugfest
Chauncey Schwartz, Chair Marketing Committee, Ethernet Alliance and Sr. Technical Marketing Manager, QLogic You could say that data center convergence is a hot topic these days. White hot, even. Driven…
Ethernet Alliance Extends Reach
Given the ongoing evolution of Ethernet technology, there has always been a desire globally by both IT vendors and customers to understand the current state of Ethernet development and to…
Self-Fulfilling Prophecies
Back in 2007, the then Higher Speed Study Group (that went on to become the IEEE P802.3ba Task Force that developed 40 GbE and 100 GbE) developed an industry wide…
Come Experience the Improved Ethernet Alliance Site
It is often very exciting to come to the end of a project and I’m particularly excited that the team at Ethernet Alliance has just completed updating our web site. …
A Journey of Exploring 40/100GbE over Twisted Pair Cabling Started
If you drew a table of ratified IEEE Ethernet standards versus their media, you would find two blanks as illustrated in the figure below. There are no 40 and 100…
Terabit Ethernet? The Game Is Afoot!
Wow! Hats off to IIR for the great job with this year’s WDM & Next Generation Optical Networking Conference. While the conference title would bring to mind the service provider…
Wrap-Up: Ethernet Alliance Plugfests: Improving Data Center Bridging One Test at a Time
Henry He, Marketing Chair, Ethernet in the Data Center subcommittee, Ethernet Alliance; Technical Product Manager, Ixia Often, a webinar in our high-tech circle introduces a new technology, explains how it…
10GBASE-T Comes of Age
With the next generation of servers capable of supporting 10G Ethernet (10GbE) on the motherboard, 10GbE is on the cusp of an explosive growth curve. With this comes the need…
Looking Beyond 100 Gigabit Ethernet
At this point in my career I have been fortunate enough to wear many hats, but the biggest hat I wore was when I agreed to lead the IEEE standardization…
So, Just What Is A Plugfest, Anyway?
In the course of my work with the Ethernet Alliance, I have the opportunity to speak with many people. More often than not one of the first questions I hear…
10GbE Standardized to 400 Meters on OM4 Fiber
When the 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) standard released in 2002, the fiber optic links of 10GBASE-SR were standardized to at least 300 meters over Optical Multimode 3 (OM3) fiber. OM3…
Matt Traverso, Ethernet Alliance Board Member
Matt Traverso, Ethernet Alliance Board Member and Hardware Engineering Manager, Cisco Systems After years of serving as an active member in Ethernet Alliance activities and events, Matt made the decision…
David Fair, Ethernet Alliance Board Member
David Fair joined the Ethernet Alliance in February, 2012 and has served as a member of its iWARP in the Data Center working group (iWARP brings remote direct memory access…
Dan Dove, Ethernet Alliance Board Member
An Ethernet Alliance Board of Directors member, Dan is currently serving his second term as the Technical Chair of the Ethernet Alliance’s High-Speed Ethernet (HSE) Subcommittee. He also has served…
Reflections On Interop 2012
Well, we certainly had a great chance to discuss Ethernet and the Ethernet Alliance at Interop 2012. By the end of the expo, we had more than 500 people visit…
Five Minutes With Chauncey Schwartz II
The 2012 Chairperson of the Ethernet Alliance’s Marketing Committee, Chauncey Schwartz II, has enjoyed a successful career in sales, marketing, and business management for more than 25 years. Last year…
A Moment in Time
During the course of my career, I have had the fortune to be involved at various points in the development and deployment of a number of technologies. Each one had…
Terabits in a Rack and Petabits in the Data Center
As the American scholar Albert Bartlett said, “The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function.” Bartlett was mainly referring to population growth, but…
Ethernet on the Road
Congratulations to the group of individuals, who were successful at the IEEE 802 March Plenary at getting the IEEE 802.3 Reduced Twisted Pair Gigabit Ethernet PHY Study Group formed. This…
10G Driving 40G and 100G to the Clouds at OFC
The Ethernet Alliance has a huge booth (724) at OFC/NFOEC from March 6-8th and we’re filling it with some great technology and exhibits. The theme of the booth is “High…
OFC/NFOEC – Real Technology, Real Deployment
John D’Ambrosia, Ethernet Alliance Chairman, Chief Ethernet Evangelist, CTO Office, Dell On June 13, 2002, IEEE Std 802.3ae-2002TM, otherwise known as the 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) standard, was ratified. Shortly…
TEF Q&A – Ramanujam Rao, Nationwide Insurance
What points will you be discussing during your panel at the TEF? My talk will be primarily focused on things that have progressed from R&D and are quite real in…
TODD ROTH TEF 2012 Q&A
Todd Roth is Vice President of Technology for Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. As part of…
Here Come the End Users
 The Ethernet Alliance is proud to bring a cadre of end users together at the upcoming End Users Speak! Technology Exploration Forum (TEF). While past TEFs were mainly deep…
TEF Q&A – Bruce Nordman, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
What will end users want to hear about during your panel? As an “energy person”, I am mindful that the biggest driver for people being concerned about energy is saving…
TEF Q&A – Una Song, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
What are you looking to accomplish at the Technology Exploration Forum? When it comes to small network equipment (SNE), there are a lot of products that are deployed on an…
The Improved Ethernet Alliance – Scott Kipp, Ethernet Alliance President
       Welcome to the new Ethernet Alliance website. We’re continually improving the website and the way that we operate. Here’s a list of what we’ve done or are going…
TEF Q&A – Paul Nikolich, Chair IEEE 802; Chief Strategy Officer, YAS Broadband Ventures
What most interests you about this Technology Exploration Forum? TEF 2012 will provide the Ethernet industry ecosystem, and standards development organizations, with end-user input on their evolving requirements for Ethernet…
TEF Q&A – Michael Bennett, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
What are the top three things you’d like to take away from the Technology Exploration Forum (TEF)? I’m interested in hearing what kinds of problems end user’s are running into…
TEF Q&A – Manoj Wadekar, Ethernet Alliance Board Member & Technical Committee Chair
Why is the Ethernet Alliance focusing on end users at the upcoming Technology Exploration Forum? We wanted to do this TEF in a new way because in the last year,…