Master the foundational technology of local area networking. From CSMA/CD to modern switched architectures.
Ethernet is a family of wired computer networking technologies commonly used in local area networks (LANs). Introduced commercially in 1980 and first standardized in 1983 as IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has evolved to support higher bandwidths and improved media access control methods.
Robert Metcalfe invents Ethernet at Xerox PARC. 2.94 Mbps over coaxial cable.
Digital, Intel, Xerox release 10 Mbps Ethernet standard.
Ethernet becomes IEEE standard. 10BASE5 and 10BASE2 defined.
Twisted pair cabling and hubs revolutionize installation.
100BASE-TX brings 100 Mbps speeds.
1000BASE-X (fiber) and 1000BASE-T (copper) standards.
Click on any field in the diagram below to see detailed information
Select any field in the Ethernet frame diagram to see detailed information.
Listen to the channel before transmitting. If busy, wait.
Multiple stations share the same medium.
Monitor for collisions while transmitting.
If collision detected, send jam signal and wait random time before retry.
| Standard | Speed | Media | Max Distance | Cable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10BASE5 | 10 Mbps | Coax (Thick) | 500m | RG-8 |
| 10BASE2 | 10 Mbps | Coax (Thin) | 185m | RG-58 |
| 10BASE-T | 10 Mbps | UTP | 100m | Cat 3/5 |
| 100BASE-TX | 100 Mbps | UTP | 100m | Cat 5 |
| 1000BASE-T | 1 Gbps | UTP | 100m | Cat 5e/6 |
| 10GBASE-T | 10 Gbps | UTP | 100m | Cat 6a/7 |
Receives entire frame, checks FCS, then forwards.
Forwards after reading destination MAC.
Forwards after first 64 bytes.