- Green Ethernet
Green Ethernet is a proprietary power saving technology that was introduced into the IT market by
D-Link .The
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) had previously assigned a taskforce to investigate energy efficiency in networking hardware, however, this is still in an early draft [http://standards.ieee.org/sa-mem/index.html] and its ratification date remains unknown. D-Link has introduced its own technology to the market to meet a demand for ‘green networking’ ahead of the ratification.Unlike the IEEE proposal (802.3az) which is based on link load, Green Ethernet technology works in one of two ways. First it detects link status, allowing each port on the switch to power down into standby or ‘sleep’ mode when a connected end-station device, such as a PC, is not active. Second, it detects cable length and adjusts the power usage accordingly. The current
Ethernet standard provides switches with enough power to send out a signal that reaches up to 100 metres in length. However, this is often unnecessary, especially in the home, where only 5 or 10 metres of cabling can be used to power a device.Power savings
Green Ethernet was first employed on home switches and smart switches. However, home switches and devices with lower port counts use less power compared to enterprise class switches and so major cost savings are not derived from the technology at this level. D-Link claims that up to 80% power savings can be made using its Green Ethernet switches, translating into a longer product life due to reduced heat dissipation.Fact|date=September 2008
Routers
Further advancements were announced in August 2008 as D-Link incorporated the technology into its wireless routers. [http://www.dlink.co.uk/?go=jN7uAYLx/oIJaWVSD7YZU93ygJVYLelXSNvhLPG3yV3oVol7j6ltbNlwaaRp7T0sHD2onGQTo48EBc7h2qHgL0sUtug=] A WLAN Scheduler will be available on Wireless N Gigabit routers that will allow you to determine when
Wi-Fi radio signals are turned on and off to further reduce energy consumption.Firmware upgrades on these devices will equip the routers with this technology if they have been purchased before this time.References
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