What are the products of Ethernet?

Ethernet, as the most widely used LAN technology, has an extremely rich product ecosystem, covering hardware devices, software solutions, and special application scenario products. The following is a detailed classification introduction based on different dimensions:
1、 Basic hardware equipment
Network Interface Card (NIC)
Function: Connect computers, servers, and other devices to Ethernet to achieve data transmission and reception.
Type:
Independent network card: PCIe slot type, suitable for desktop computers or servers.
Integrated network card: directly integrated on the motherboard, commonly found in laptops and all-in-one computers.
Wireless network card: Supports both Wi Fi and Ethernet dual-mode, such as the built-in WAN/LAN ports in some high-end routers.
Switch
Function: Intelligently forward data frames within the local area network to improve network efficiency.
Category:
According to the number of ports: 5 ports, 8 ports, 16 ports, 24 ports, 48 ports, etc., suitable for networks of different sizes in households and enterprises.
According to the management method:
Non managed switch: plug and play, suitable for small networks.
Management switch: supports VLAN partitioning QoS、 Advanced features such as port monitoring are suitable for medium and large enterprises.
According to transmission rates: 100Mbps, 1Gbps, 10Gbps and above, to meet different bandwidth requirements.
Router
Function: Connect different networks (such as LAN and WAN) to achieve packet routing and forwarding.
Type:
Home router: Integrated with Wi Fi, firewall, NAT and other functions, suitable for homes and small offices.
Enterprise level router: supports multi WAN port load balancing VPN、 High availability, suitable for medium and large enterprises.
Core router: deployed in data centers or large network cores, supporting ultra high speed data transmission (such as 400Gbps).
Hub (Hub)
Function: Physical layer device that broadcasts received signals to all ports (gradually replaced by switches).
Current situation: Only used in a very small number of old networks or specific testing scenarios.
Network cable and connector
Twisted pair cable:
Cat5e: Supports Gigabit Ethernet with a maximum transmission distance of 100 meters.
Cat6/6a: Supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet with stronger anti-interference capability.
Cat7/8: Supports higher bandwidth and lower latency, suitable for data centers.
Fiber optic:
Single mode fiber (SMF): Transmission distance is far (tens of kilometers), suitable for wide area network or data center interconnection.
Multimode fiber (MMF): With a short transmission distance (several hundred meters to several kilometers), it is suitable for local area networks.
Connectors: RJ45 (twisted pair), LC/SC (fiber optic), etc.
2、 Network Software and Solutions
Network Operating System (NOS)
Function: Provide network services (such as DHCP, DNS), user management, security policies, etc.
Example:
Windows Server: integrates services such as Active Directory and file sharing.
Linux: Implementing network services through open-source software such as Samba and Apache.
Network device operating systems, such as Cisco IOS and Huawei VRP, are designed specifically for routers and switches.
network management software
Function: Monitor network status, configure devices, optimize performance, troubleshoot.
Example:
SolarWinds: Provides network performance monitoring, configuration management, and other functions.
PRTG Network Monitor: Supports real-time monitoring and alarm notifications.
Cisco Prime Infrastructure: A management platform designed specifically for Cisco devices.
Security software
Functions: firewall, intrusion detection/defense system (IDS/IPS), antivirus, etc.
Example:
Hardware firewall: such as Cisco ASA, Fortinet FortiGate.
Software firewall: such as Windows Defender Firewall, pfSense.
Security services: such as cloud firewalls, DDoS protection, etc.
3、 Special application scenario products
Industrial Ethernet equipment
Features: Suitable for harsh environments (high temperature, vibration, electromagnetic interference), supports real-time communication.
Example:
Industrial switch: IP67 protection level, supports ring redundancy protocols (such as PROFINET, EtherCAT).
Industrial router: supports 4G/5G backup VPN， Suitable for remote monitoring.
Vehicle Ethernet equipment
Features: Supports high-speed data transmission (such as 1Gbps), meeting the needs of autonomous driving and in car entertainment.
Example:
Car mounted switch: integrated into the automotive electronic control unit (ECU).
On board diagnostic interface (OBD): Supports Ethernet communication to achieve vehicle fault diagnosis.
Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices
Function: Simultaneously transmit data and power through Ethernet cables, simplifying wiring.
Example:
PoE switch: Supports IEEE 802.3af/at/bt standard, providing power for IP cameras and wireless APs.
PoE splitter: Separate the power from the Ethernet cable to supply power to non PoE devices.
4、 Emerging technology products
SDN (Software Defined Networking) Controller
Function: Centralize management of network devices through software to achieve flexible configuration and automated operation and maintenance.
Example:
Cisco ACI: Application Center Infrastructure that supports policy driven network management.
OpenFlow controllers, such as ONOS and Ryu, are open-source implementations of SDN control planes.
NFV (Network Function Virtualization) platform
Function: virtualize traditional network devices (such as firewalls, load balancers) into software and run them on general-purpose servers.
Example:
VMware NSX: Provides features such as virtual networking, security, and sharding.
Huawei CloudCampus: NFV based campus network solution.
Time sensitive network (TSN) devices
Function: Implement deterministic low latency communication in Ethernet, suitable for industrial automation and vehicle networks.
Example:
TSN switch: supports mechanisms such as time synchronization and traffic scheduling.
TSN network card: Integrated timestamp function to ensure real-time data transmission.