Ethernet Standards (IEEE 802.3)
Common Ethernet physical layer standards.
IEEE 802.3 defines the physical layers of Ethernet. Each standard pairs a speed with a media type and a distance limit, and choosing the right one for a link is a matter of matching cable plant to requirement: twisted pair for structured copper cabling, multimode fiber for short reaches inside a building, and single-mode fiber for longer spans.
This table covers the standards you will encounter most: 1000BASE-T, 10GBASE-T, the SR and LR fiber variants of 10G, 25G, 40G, 100G, and the first 400G standards.
| Standard | Name | Speed | Media | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 802.3ab | 1000BASE-T | 1 Gbps | Cat5e+ | 100 m |
| 802.3an | 10GBASE-T | 10 Gbps | Cat6a+ | 100 m |
| 802.3ae | 10GBASE-SR | 10 Gbps | OM3/OM4 MMF | 300/400 m |
| 802.3ae | 10GBASE-LR | 10 Gbps | OS2 SMF | 10 km |
| 802.3by | 25GBASE-SR | 25 Gbps | OM4 MMF | 100 m |
| 802.3ba | 40GBASE-SR4 | 40 Gbps | OM3/OM4 MMF | 100/150 m |
| 802.3bj | 100GBASE-SR4 | 100 Gbps | OM4 MMF | 100 m |
| 802.3cu | 100GBASE-FR1 | 100 Gbps | OS2 SMF | 2 km |
| 802.3bs | 400GBASE-SR16 | 400 Gbps | OM4 MMF | 100 m |
| 802.3ck | 100GBASE-CR1 | 100 Gbps | Copper DAC | 2 m |
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