The author discusses the evolution of wired networking, from 10BASE2 and 10BASE-T to the current gigabit Ethernet standard. With the advent of faster ISP connections, the author explores the need for upgraded networking infrastructure, including the use of switches and fibre optic connections for improved bandwidth and range. The author plans to share their experience upgrading their home network to support 10Gb speeds.

To accommodate various network topologies and fibre optic standards, manufacturers separated the physical layer from switching hardware, using SFP cages for transceiver modules. This allowed for flexibility in network configurations. However, the transition to 10Gb/s Ethernet, particularly 10GBASE-T, introduced challenges like heat generation and cable compatibility, necessitating alternative solutions like DAC cables and fibre optics.