Editing 10BASE2 (section)

{{Short description|Once-dominant 10 Mbit/s Ethernet standard}}
{{refimprove|date=January 2016}}

[[File:BNC connector with 10BASE2 cable-92170.jpg|thumb|10BASE2 cable showing the BNC connector end.]]
[[File:BNC Tee connector, with Ethernet cable connected-92166.jpg|thumb|10BASE2 cable with a BNC T-connector.]]
[[Image:10base2 BNC Terminator.jpg|thumb|right|10BASE2 cable end terminator.]]
[[Image:Ead-outlet.jpg|thumb|right|EAD outlet]]
[[Image:AAUI examples.jpg|thumb|right|Different types of T-connectors, with [[AAUI]]s (an AUI variant specific to [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] computers)]]

'''10BASE2''' (also known as '''cheapernet''',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/components/national/_appNotes/AN-0442.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/components/national/_appNotes/AN-0442.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=Ethernet/Cheapernet Physical Layer Made Easy with DP8391/92 |author=Alex Djenguerian |date=June 1986 |publisher=National Semiconductor |access-date=2019-08-13}}</ref> '''thin Ethernet''', '''thinnet''', and '''thinwire''') is a variant of [[Ethernet]] that uses thin [[coaxial cable]] terminated with [[BNC connector]]s to build a [[local area network]]. During the mid to late 1980s, this was the dominant {{val|10|ul=Mbit/s}} Ethernet standard.

The use of [[twisted pair]] networks competed with 10BASE2's use of a single coaxial cable. In 1988, [[Ethernet over twisted pair]] was introduced, running at the same speed of 10&nbsp;Mbit/s. In 1995, the [[Fast Ethernet]] standard upgraded the speed to 100&nbsp;Mbit/s, and no such speed improvement was ever made for thinnet. By 2001, prices for Fast Ethernet cards had fallen to under $50. By 2003, [[Wi-Fi]] networking equipment was widely available and affordable.

Due to the immense demand for high-speed networking, the low cost of [[Category 5 cable]], and the popularity of [[802.11]] wireless networks, both 10BASE2 and [[10BASE5]] have become increasingly [[obsolete]], though devices still exist in some locations.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.l-com.com/content/Article.aspx?Type=P&ID=10042 |title=L-com Introduces Commercial-Grade Thinnet (10Base-2) and Thicknet (10Base-5) Converters for Legacy Installs |date=2012-06-11 |publisher=L-com, Inc. |access-date=2012-07-01}}</ref> As of 2011, [[IEEE 802.3]] has [[deprecated]] this standard for new installations.<ref>IEEE 802.3-2012 ''10. Medium attachment unit and baseband medium specifications, type 10BASE2''</ref>