Ethernet is a family of networking technologies commonly used in local area networks (LANs). The original Ethernet from the 1970s used coaxial cable as a shared medium, while newer variants use twisted pair cables and fiber optics connected through switches. Over its history, Ethernet speeds have increased from 2.94 megabits per second to 400 gigabits per second. Ethernet frames contain source and destination addresses and error checking to detect damaged frames. Ethernet is widely used both in homes and industry, and forms a key part of the infrastructure of the Internet.