Ethernet defines wiring and signalling standards for connecting Local Area Networks (LAN) physically. It is standardized as IEEE 802.3. Ethernet is the most widespread technology in use to power wired LANs, and has been in common usage since around the 1980s when it was quickly becoming the standard.
Ethernet is the most widely used data link layer protocol in the world. Using UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) cables, the full potential of Ethernet was shown. Traditional Ethernet could operate at speeds of up to 10 Mbps, but Fast Ethernet standards increased the speed to 100 Mbps.
There is also Gigabit Ethernet providing speeds up to 1,000 Mbps.
