Is Gigabit Ethernet Backward Compatible?
Is Gigabit Ethernet Backward Compatible? Friday May 30, 2008 You may have noticed some newer broadband routers are available with Gigabit Ethernet support. Home routers (even wireless ones) have always offered standard Ethernet for wired connections, but most of these were based on older 10/100 Ethernet technology. Instead of 10 or 100 Mbps speeds, Gigabit Ethernet (sometimes called GigE) provides much faster 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps) capability when both ends of the connection support it. GigE also is backward compatible. You can use your existing CAT5 cables to connect Gigabit to older Ethernet gear and connections will automatically work. The only limitation: backward-compatible connections run at the lower speed of the older equipment. → More – About
