What Is Ethernet?

Ethernet is the term given to a vast, diverse family made up of frame-based networking technologies of computers for local area networks (abbreviated as LANs). Ethernet has now been consistent as IEEE 802.3. Ethernet refers to the physical notion of the ether. Originally, ethernet was developed at research and development company Xerox PARC as just one of their several pioneering projects.

It defines several wiring as well as signalling standards meant for the physical layer, via network access at which is done at the Media Access Control (MAC)/Data Link Layer. It is a widespread addressing format.

Ethernet was traditionally built on the vision of computers being able to communicate over a particular coaxial cable which is shared, serving as a broadcast transmission medium.

Ethernet refers to a collection of protocols that specify a standard way of setting up a LAN in a bus network. It specifies the types and lengths of cables, how the cables connect, how devices communicate data, how the system detects and corrects problems, and so on.
Data communications and problem checking in an Ethernet network require a set of procedures collectively called CSMS/CD which stands for carrier sense multiple access with collision detection.

Carrier sense means that when a workstation has to send a message, it first "listens" for other messages on the line. If it senses no messages, it sends one. Multiple access means that two workstations might want to send a message at the same time. Collision detection means that when a workstation initiates a message, it listens to see if the message might have collided with one from another workstation. A standard Ethernet system can send data at a rate of up to 10 mbps, and newer versions can transmit even faster. Fast Ethernet, for instance, runs at 100 mbps and gigabit Ethernet is even faster.