Ethernet History and Concepts - buaamer81/IT130-Networking-Wiki GitHub Wiki
🔌 Ethernet History and Concepts
📘 Overview
Ethernet is the most dominant local area network (LAN) technology, first developed by Xerox in the 1970s and standardized as IEEE 802.3 in 1983. It provides a set of rules for wiring and signaling standards that govern how data is transmitted over a network.
Originally using bus topology and coaxial cables, Ethernet has evolved into high-speed networks using twisted pair and fiber optics with a star topology. Its simplicity, scalability, and backward compatibility have made it the go-to technology for nearly all modern wired LANs.
🕰️ Timeline of Ethernet Development
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1970s | Ethernet invented at Xerox PARC |
| 1980 | DIX Ethernet released (DEC-Intel-Xerox) |
| 1983 | IEEE 802.3 standard established |
| 1990s | 10BaseT and 100BaseT become widespread |
| 2000s | Gigabit Ethernet becomes mainstream |
| Today | Multi-gigabit Ethernet, fiber, PoE, and beyond |
📐 Key Concepts
- Ethernet is a Layer 1 (physical) and Layer 2 (data link) technology.
- Uses MAC addresses to identify devices on the network.
- Defines frame format, cabling, signaling, and media access control.
- Operates using broadcast communication in most LANs.
📄 Related IEEE Standard
- IEEE 802.3 — The official standard for Ethernet by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
- Defines frame format
- Electrical signaling methods
- Media types (twisted pair, fiber, coax)
🧠 Quick Facts
- Ethernet frames use CSMA/CD to avoid and resolve collisions on shared media (see CSMA/CD Mechanism).
- Supports half-duplex and full-duplex transmission.
- Ethernet over twisted pair (e.g., 10BaseT, 100BaseT) has replaced coaxial versions in modern networks.