[IoT Communication Technologies] – Ethernet

Custom Solutions 2022-08-11 6 views

Overview

Ethernet is a wired computer communication interface technology used to connect devices in wired or wireless networks, including computers, routers, and switches. It is the traditional technology for connecting devices in wired Local Area Networks (LANs) or Wide Area Networks (WANs). It enables devices to communicate with each other via a protocol, which is a set of rules or a common network language.

Ethernet describes how network devices format and transmit data so that other devices on the same LAN or campus network can identify, receive, and process the information. Ethernet cables are the physical, encased wiring for data transmission. Compared to Wireless LAN (WLAN) technology, Ethernet is generally less susceptible to disruptions. It also offers a greater degree of network security and control compared to wireless technologies, as devices must be connected using physical cabling. This makes it difficult for outsiders to access network data or hijack bandwidth for unauthorized devices.

The original 10BASE5 Ethernet used coaxial cable as a shared medium, while newer Ethernet variants use twisted pair and fiber optic links in conjunction with switches. Over the course of its history, Ethernet data transfer rates have increased from the original 2.94 Mbit/s to the latest 400 Gbit/s, with rates up to 1.6 Tbit/s under development. If we have 500 TB of data to send, the process could be completed in 14 minutes. The Ethernet standard encompasses several wiring and signaling variants of the OSI physical layer.

History of Development

It was inspired by ALOHAnet (the ALOHAnet protocol was born in June 1971 at the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Engineering and is the foundation for all wireless communications such as mobile, satellite, cellular, and WiFi). Robert Metcalfe studied ALOHAnet in his 1973 doctoral dissertation. He named it after the luminiferous aether, once postulated as "a ubiquitous, completely passive medium for the propagation of electromagnetic waves."
Invented in 1975 at Xerox (Xerox PARC) by Robert Metcalfe and David Boggs, and upgraded from the original 2.94 Mbit/s protocol to a 10 Mbit/s protocol.
Metcalfe left Xerox in June 1979 to found 3Com, convincing Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC, acquired by Compaq in January 1998), Intel, and Xerox to work together to promote Ethernet as a standard. As part of this process, Xerox agreed to relinquish its "Ethernet" trademark (anyone and any company could use Ethernet in their products).
The first standard was released on September 30, 1980, titled "The Ethernet, A Local Area Network. Data Link Layer and Physical Layer Specifications."
3Com released the first 10 Mbit/s Ethernet 3C100 NIC in March 1981 and began selling adapters for PDP-11 and VAX systems that year, as well as for Intel and Sun Microsystems computers based on the Multibus.
On June 23, 1983, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) approved the Ethernet 802.3 standard.
Ethernet initially competed with Token Ring and other proprietary protocols. Ethernet was able to adapt to market demands, shifting from 10BASE2 to inexpensive thin coaxial cable, and starting in 1990, to the now ubiquitous 10BASE-T twisted pair.
By the early 1990s, Ethernet had become so prevalent that Ethernet ports began appearing on some PCs and most workstations.
The IEEE 802.3 Working Group manages and maintains the various Ethernet specifications.

Technical Characteristics

Ethernet has many advantages, which are the main reasons for its rapid customer acceptance in applications.

Relatively low cost;
Backward compatibility;
Generally noise-resistant;
Good data transmission quality;
Speed;
Reliability;
Data security, as common firewalls can be used.

Of course, no technology is perfect, and its strengths can also become weaknesses in other contexts.

Suitable for smaller, shorter-distance networks;
Inconvenient installation, requiring cable pulling;
Using longer cables can cause crosstalk;
Not suitable for real-time or interactive applications;
Speed decreases with increased traffic;
The receiver does not acknowledge packet receipt;
Difficult to trace the specific cable or node causing problems, making troubleshooting very challenging.