Move to SubStack
While this site will remain for my legacy posts, I am now posting new ones on SubStack here: https://sevenlayers.substack.com/
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Why Ethernet Is Less Reliable Over Long Distances
Ethernet is undoubtedly one of the most widely used technologies for local area network (LAN) connections globally, appreciated for its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and relative ease of installation. However over long distances, certain technical challenges arise that can impact its reliability significantly. The main reason relates to its flow-control mechanism and how it interacts with the inherent physical and protocol limitations of Ethernet cabling and signalling. This article explores why Ethernet becomes less reliable as distance increases, with a particular focus on flow-control and related limitations that contribute to performance degradation in longer Ethernet runs. Understanding Ethernet and Its Typical Distance Limits First, it’s important to grasp the physical constraints of Ethernet over copper twisted-pair cables, which are the most common form of Ethernet wiring. The Ethernet standards, especially those covering typical cables such as Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a, sp...