IT Services Circle

Sep 21, 2026 · Fundamentals

Why 100 Meters Is Ethernet's Reliability Boundary, Not a Speed Cliff

This article explains why 100 meters is the standard Ethernet channel limit, how signal attenuation and crosstalk degrade reliability beyond that distance, why cable category (Cat5e/Cat6/Cat6A) determines maximum distances for 1Gbps and 10Gbps, and when to use switches or fiber for longer runs.