What is Ethernet?

It is very important to have access to reliable, efficient and easily exchanged information today. You no longer need to maintain huge storage cabinets with files and folders filled with important data. Today all you need to do is upload all your information online and even share it with co-workers and business partners who are miles apart instantaneously. All this is possible only due to computer networking technology.

The Internet has made it possible for people to share information around the world in a matter of minutes. You can reach out to your customers real-time and make deals easily. There is one thing that makes it all possible and is called as the Ethernet. Let us see what is Ethernet in the following paragraphs.

Ethernet- Overview

An Ethernet is the local-area network (LAN) protocol. The term ‘Ether’ refers to the ‘divine element’ in the heaven. It is thought to exist everywhere, in space, heaven and earth. In the world of computer networking, it means a ‘network of everywhere’.

Xerox PARC created it in 1973 by Robert Metcalfe and others. Ethernet is the fastest and the most reliable network solution that is still in use today. It is a link layer protocol in the TCP/IP stack. An Ethernet can touch the Layer 1 (physical layer) and the Layer 2 (the data link layer) on the OSI network protocol model.

Ethernet LAN was designed to run over coaxial cables. Today it uses special grades of twisted pair cables or fiber optical cabling.

This is some idea about what is Ethernet in general. It is one of the most reliable systems for networking available today.

References:

1.http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/Ethernet
2.http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/E/Ethernet.html
3.http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/ethernet1/g/bldef_ethernet.htm
4.http://compnetworking.about.com/od/ethernet/f/what-is-an-ethernet-cable.htm
5.http://www.creative-wisdom.com/teaching/network/ethernet.shtml
6.http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/e/ethernet.htm
7.http://computer.howstuffworks.com/ethernet1.htm