Which Ethernet standard defined speeds up to 10Gbps?

The Ethernet standard that defined speeds up to 10Gbps is specifically 802.3ae. This standard was established to support 10 Gigabit Ethernet, which allows for high-performance data transmission over various media types, including both fiber-optic and copper cable.

Understanding the context of other standards is also helpful. For instance, 802.3z pertains to Gigabit Ethernet, which supports speeds of up to 1Gbps, while 802.1 refers more broadly to network architecture and does not specifically define Ethernet speeds. Additionally, 802.3ad relates to link aggregation, allowing multiple networks to be combined into a single logical link, but it does not specify a speed limit as high as 10Gbps.

Thus, the choice of 802.3ae is correct as it directly addresses the requirement for a standard that supports the 10Gbps Ethernet speed.