Zininzi izinto ekufuneka uzifundile malunga nokutshintsha kwe-Ethernet. Apha ikakhulu sazisa indlela yokuphepha ukulahleka kwepakethi kulawulo lwedatha yamandla kwi-Gigabit Ethernet switch. Ulawulo lokuhamba alukwazi ukuphucula i-throughput yedatha yetshintshi yonke, kodwa igwema ukulahlekelwa kwepakethi kwi-switch. I-Gigabit Ethernet iprotocol yomaleko womzimba we-IEEE ichaza ujongano oluninzi lwe-Gigabit Ethernet yemidiya eyahlukeneyo yomzimba, kuquka i-1000Base-CX, 1000Base-SX, 1000Base-LX, 1000Base-T.

Phakathi kwabo, i-1000Base-CX yi-interface esetyenziswa kwi-155Ω i-coaxial cables elinganayo. Akukho mveliso yokwenene ekusebenzeni. I-1000Base-T yi-interface enokuthi isetyenziswe kudidi lwesi-5 okanye iintambo eziphezulu eziphothiweyo. Umgangatho wayo yi-IEEE802.3ab. Lo mgangatho usandula ukukhutshwa ngoJuni 1999, kwaye ngoku iimveliso zorhwebo zisanda kuqaliswa kwimarike.

I-1000Base-SX isebenzisa i-850nm i-laser interface ye-wavelength, efanelekileyo kuphela kwi-multimode fiber. I-1000Base-LX isebenzisa i-1300nm ye-laser interface ye-wavelength, ifanelekile kwimodi enye kunye ne-multi-mode fiber. I-1000Base-SX isetyenziswa ikakhulu kuthungelwano lwekhampasi kunye nomqolo wothungelwano lweshishini.

I-1000Base-LX isetyenziswa ikakhulu kuthungelwano lwengingqi yemetropolitan. Ngoku enye inethiwekhi yendawo yemetropolitan esetyenziswa ngokubanzi ngumgama omde we-Gigabit Ethernet switch optical interface ye-1000Base-LH. Ngokubanzi, iilaser ezinobude be-1300nm okanye i-1550nm ziyasetyenziswa, ezinokufikelela ngaphezulu kwe-50km. Nditsho nomgama wothumelo we-100km ngaphandle kwe-relay.

Kufuneka kucaciswe ukuba, ngenxa yokuba i-IEEE ibonelela ngomgama wokuhanjiswa kwe-Gigabit Ethernet phantsi kweemeko ezimbi kakhulu zothumelo, kwizicelo zangempela, umgama wothumelo lweemveliso zabakhiqizi abahlukeneyo udlula kakhulu imimiselo esemgangathweni, njenge-Alcatel's PowerRail 1000 I-1000Base- I-interface ye-LX ye-mega routing switch inokuhambisa i-22km ngaphandle kokudluliselwa kuvavanyo lwangempela.