What Is Ethernet?
Ethernet is the protocol of the Local Area Network or LAN. If you connect a few devices to a switch, they will use Ethernet. It’s a bit like a language they use to communicate.
Think of it as a big book of rules and requirements that all devices must meet if they want to be understood.
For example, Ethernet defines how a computer connects to a switch. This could be with fibre optics or a UTP cable.
It also defines how to format data before sending it, so it is understood when it is received.
It also breaks down a stream of information into manageable blocks of data called frames.
A device must include its address, called a MAC address, in each frame it sends. It will also include the address of the device it’s sending to.
Even though this protocol has been around since the 1980’s, it’s still going strong today. This protocol is continually improved to bring faster speeds to the network.