NETWORKING CLASS

What is Ethernet?

Ethernet is a protocol that is used over Local Area Network (LAN). Basically Ethernet is a LAN technology that is used to communicate information or data between different computers at 100Mbps and more. 10BASE-T Ethernet can transmit information up to 100Mbps and Gigabit Ethernet can transmit information up to 1000 Mbps. Ethernet is based on bus topology but can also be used in star topology and uses cables system to transmit information or data, most common in LAN networks as well as WAN.

Today Ethernet has become the most popular technology and widely used all over the world due to its performance, easy to install and maintain. Ethernet served as the basic for the IEEE 802.3 standard and work on psychical and application layers. Ethernet uses the CSMA/CD (carrier-sense multiple access with collision detection) technology for access.

In these days Ethernet used advance mode for data communication called Full-duplex mode. In Full-duplex mode data can be communicate in both directions at the same time (send and receive). Because in past data communication between systems in only one direction at a time called half-duplex mode. But at the same time there are some limitations with Ethernet for example, Distance limitations of UTP cable, Network size limitation and collisions likely as number of hosts increases.