Quiz Of The Week: Ethernet

Ethernet had humble beginnings, but today it has conquered the planet. It started at Xerox’ famous PARC (Palo Alto Research Centre) as a way to connect computers, and now is woven into the fabric of our digital world.

Ethernet started on coaxial cable and now runs on copper cables and fibre at multiple Gigabits per second – and technologists are planning the next move which could go up as high as Terabits. It has also become a normal protocol for connecting over broadband to telecoms service providers.

Standard waving

Bob Metcalfe is credited with the invention – and naming – of Ethernet, as the lead author of Xerox’ patent application. In the initial design, computers had to share access to the wire, and used the clever CSMA/CD (carrier sense multiple access with collision detection) technique to make sure they didn’t all talk at once. This is now rarely used, as most installations use switched Ethernet, and there is no sharing.

Metcalfe went on to found networking company 3Com, and the world saw successive generations of Ethernet firms, including Extreme, Foundry and many more, all pushing the speed and intelligence of the technology.

Now with billions of switch ports in operation, Ethernet is a sure world leader, providing a universal connection medium way beyond what its designers hoped for.

This is one of our more “history” based efforts, so be prepared for a journey of discovery as you…

Try the Ethernet quiz!

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