In this chapter, you will

• Learn the fundamentals of Ethernet

• Discover the operational characteristics of Ethernet

• Learn about frames and addresses

Ethernet is a type of physical network that supports virtually any type of computer system, unlike previous networks that supported only certain types of computers. The “ether” part of the name comes from the material that was thought, in the 19^th century, to surround the earth and provide a medium for the transmission of radio waves. In the same way that radio became a ubiquitous mode for transmitting data, Ethernet has become the most commonly used medium for network transmission.