10 Terabit Ethernet By 2010

Eric Frost writes "From Directions Magazine: 'Because it is now impossible to sell networking unless it is called Ethernet (regardless of the actual protocols used), it is likely that 1 Terabit Ethernet and even 10 Terabit Ethernet (using 100 wavelengths used by 100 gigabit per second transmitter / receiver pairs) may soon be announced. Only a protocol name change is needed. And the name change is merely the acknowledgment that Ethernet protocols can tunnel through other protocols (and vice versa).'"

Name Change

[Nept]

Tethernet?

The all important use...

[wolrahnaes]

Imagine how much pr0n....er....um...I mean valuable business data you could get with this!

Not just a name change

[mnmn]

Gigabit ethernet, and 10 gigabit ethernet both have it in their specs to accomodate 100 ethernet and 10 ethernet. Therefore 10 Tb ethernet will be called 10000000/1000000/100000/10000/1000/100/10Base T for the OTHER technologies included. The chip will be bigger unless its fancy FPGAing with the FPGA code downloaded from the driver.

So to sell it as Ethernet they have to make it compatible as such. Or to make things cheaper, they will have to settle on a different name to sell cheaper 10Tb cards only. Cheaper 10Tb cards will sell more than compatible ones.

In the year 2010...

[travdaddy]

My prediction for the year 2010... I'll still be on a 56k modem. :-(

Re:And what am I going to do with 10TB ethernet?

[rmarll]

People/institutions with large storage arrays.
Lan parties are, in a lot of ways, hindered by bandwidth. We have a monthly thing in town here that is pushing the limits of the 100mb switches and GE backbone.
Watching multiple streams of HDTV video from the media server in your basement.
Networking processors from different workstations to provide a little more processing power.

And most importantly.

Haptic porn.

Will 10 Terabits be enough...

[Mr. Neutron]

...to prevent the Slashdot Effect?

it's funny...

[MarcoAtWork]

I am an EE major and when I was going to university in the late 80s early 90s everybody was going on how fiber was the future and that we'd run out of capacity on copper RealSoonNow: who'd have thought about 10TERABIT ethernet back then! (heck, I was happy as a clam when my lab upgraded from coax to baseT so the jokers couldn't bring down my box by unscrewing their terminators...)

I'll bet you all ...

[Rev.LoveJoy]

that even then, Kevin Tolley will still be ranting away in the pages of Network World about how much better Token Ring really is...

Cheers,
-- RLJ

Re:And what am I going to do with 10TB ethernet?

[danila]

and then the aimbots and see-through-wall hacks become even more effective, as they can track every single player in the screen at all times.

To solve the cheating problem "once and for all", you can render the picture on the server and just send that 1024x768 bitmap 60 times per second. :) Try to see-through that!

Durability of Ethernet

[Sir Rhosys]

Just read this in ESR's Art of Unix Programming [catb.org] and thought it was applicable:

"Robert Metcalf [the inventor of Ethernet] says that if something comes along to replace Ethernet, it will be called "Ethernet", so therefore Ethernet will never die. Unix has already undergone several such transformations."

-- Ken Thompson

Here is the page in the manuscript with the quote [catb.org].

My apologies for both the recursive quoting and name dropping.

Re:100Mb full duplex, switched to the desktop.

[T3kno]

Size of a 1 page MS Word file over time
1 TerB = IINnnnnNnnnnNnnnnNnnnnNnnnnNnnnnN##Nnnnn
lameness IInnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn##nnnnnn
lameness IInnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn##nnnnnnn
500 GB = IINnnnnNnnnnNnnnnNnnnnNnnnnNn##NnnnnNnnn
lameness IInnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn##nnnnnnnnnn
lameness IInnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn###nnnnnnnnnnnnn
1 GigB = IINnnnnNnnnnNnnnnNnnn###nnnNnnnNnnnnNnnn
lameness IInnnnnnnnnnnnnnn###nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
lameness IInnnnnnnnnnn####nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
500 MB = IINnnnnN#####nnnnNnnnnNnnnnNnnnNnnnnNnnn
lameness IInnn####nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
lameness II####nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
1 MB = IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
lameness fi II terisre II allylam II earrghhh II
ihatescri 1995 ptkid 2000 diesl 2005 4m3ers 2010

Re:Good stuff

[Richthofen80]

Yeah, and I'm still behind 10mb/s in my office. Huzzah!

Re:And what am I going to do with 10TB ethernet?

[diatonic]

Perhaps there will be 10 megapixel displays by then ;)