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Greater communication
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10/10/2008
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In the 1970s the concept of machines talking to each other was pure science fiction. 2001AD - A Space Odyssey introduced the idea to the masses with HAL, a sinister machine with a superior intellect. The development of Ethernet in the mid 1970s made the concept of communications between machines - an open network - a less ominous prospect with a simple coaxial cable acting as a broadcast transmission medium between separate computers.
Ethernet stations communicate by sending each other data packets, with each station given a single 48bit media access control (MAC) address, used to specify the destination and source of each data packet.
Today, Ethernet is everywhere, however, its limitations are obvious; the length of an Ethernet and the number of computers is limited by the quality of the cable; even when extended with signal boosters, the length of an Ethernet is limited to 512bit in transit on a network; the frame length is at least 512bit so that all computers detect it while still being transmitted.
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Author
Chris Shaw
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