Gigabit VS 2.5G Ethernet Adapter

With the popularization of Intel’s 12th generation CPU solution architecture, many home and commercial series motherboards have also begun to be fully equipped with a 2.5 G Ethernet adapter as standard. The replacement of traditional gigabit local area networks by 2.5G is already a trend. So, does it make sense to use a 2.5G local area network now? This article will discuss the 2.5 G Ethernet adapter with everyone and compare it with the current mainstream gigabit Ethernet adapter.

Classification of Wired Type-C Ethernet Adapter:

1. Classified by Rate:

It can be classified into 100 Mbps, 1000 Mbps, 2.5G, 5G, and 10 G. The protocol standard followed by a wired type-C Ethernet adapter belongs to the 802.3 protocol suite.

① The 10 Mbps speed range has become the “standard Ethernet”. Although the current mainstream network cards are all compatible with 10 Mbps, it has become a formality and has been phased out. The actual speed experienced is not as fast as the 4G network speed of mobile phones.

② 100 Mbps, also known as FAST Ethernet, is generally the 100BASE-TX standard we use for transmission through twisted-pair cables (that is, network cables). A 4-core network cable can meet the transmission requirements of 100 Mbps, and the transmission distance is generally around 100 meters, depending on the material of the cable.

③ 1000Mbps, also known as Gigabit Ethernet, generally, the standard we use is 1000BASE-T, which transmits through twisted-pair cables. However, Gigabit requires the use of 4 pairs of twisted-pair cables, that is, 8-core network cables (for some homes that were renovated early, there might be 4-core network cables buried in the walls, resulting in the inability to transmit Gigabit; Some decoration workers will only connect 4-core network cables, which can only be used for 100Mbps, and the transmission distance can still reach about 100 meters.

④ 2.5G/5G, that is, 2.5 /5 times the gigabit rate, the standard protocol was formulated as 802.3bz in 2016. Currently, the main products launched are 2.5G ones, which are the next-generation wired specifications to replace gigabit. It is also transmitted through twisted-pair cables, requiring Category 5e network cables, with a transmission distance of about 100 meters.

⑤ 10G, or 10-Gigabit Ethernet, was standardized very early, as early as the early 2000s, much earlier than 2.5G Ethernet. However, it has no demand points for ordinary users and is difficult to promote widely. It is generally used in server room scenarios. Even now in 2022, 10G Ethernet is still hard to enter ordinary households. Even with network cable transmission, it can reach a distance of about 100 meters.

2.  Classified by Interface:

It can be divided into PCI-E, USB, Type-C, and the PCI interface, but it is relatively rare in the market now.

① PCIE Wired Network Card:

At present, the mainstream wired network cards all adopt the PCI-E interface. The PCI-e interface has differences such as X1, X4, and X8. Generally speaking, gigabit and 2.5G network cards can use the PCI-e X1 interface. The 10G (10-gigabit) network card uses the PCIE X4 interface; The 10-gigabit network card with multiple network ports uses the PCIE X8 interface. Of course, the PCI-e interface is compatible. The short one can be plugged into the long interface, but not vice versa.

② USB Wired Network Card:

Wired network cards with USB interfaces have emerged more and more in recent years. The main reason is that current thin and light laptops, due to their small body size, cannot be designed with RJ45 ports. For example, compatibility for Apple’s MacBook Air only retains two USB Type-C interfaces and nothing else. In an environment without a WiFi network, only through a wired network card with a USB interface can an RJ45 be extended and a network cable be connected to the Internet. The detailed classification of USB interfaces mainly includes: USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and Type C.

• USB 2.0: The transmission rate is generally only a few hundred megabits, so it only supports network cards with a specification of 100 megabits.

• USB 3.0: It can be used for wired network cards of gigabit and higher specifications.

• Type C: Mainly applied to devices with only type C interfaces, such as compatibility for MacBook Air.

Having understood the rate and interface of wired network cards, do we need a 2.5G network?

First of all, we need to understand the current network requirements. If a single machine is not connected to the Internet or is used with network devices, the 2.5G network cannot achieve the effect of high-speed transmission. However, if the computer is in a communication environment such as a local area network and needs to frequently transfer large files, large-capacity data, and low-latency requirements, using a 2.5 GB Ethernet adapter can be just right. At present, the 3C computer peripheral manufacturer RSHTECH has launched a new 2.5gbps ethernet adapter. In addition to the network port, it also has a PD charging function. It responds faster and has a higher speed than the original gigabit network card solution, reducing network waiting time.