What is Gigabit Ethernet?

Gigabit Ethernet is an extension to the highly successful 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standards. Offering a raw data bandwidth of 1000 Mbps, Gigabit Ethernet maintains full compatibility with the huge installed base of Ethernet nodes. (source: The Gigabit Ethernet Alliance - May 1997)
- Allows half- and full-duplex operation at speeds of 1000 Mbps
- Uses the 802.3 Ethernet frame format
- Uses the CSMA/CD access method with support for one repeater per collision domain
- Addresses backward compatibility with 10BASE-T and 100BASE-T technologies