Ethernet Networking

Ethernet Networking

It is a technology mainly used for LAN networks and is associated with the physical layer or data link layer. In the olden times the medium of connection used for the connection of Ethernet devices was copper cables, the trend has been replaced now by fiber optic cables. Switching of Ethernet gave birth to two types Half Duplex and Full Duplex Ethernet.

It also has the mechanism of auto detection which is built in with the ability to assess of rate of exchange; also it decides with which mode of transmission it will go Full Duplex or Half.

In Full Duplex, the data can be sent and received at the same time. The reception and transmission takes place simultaneously and hence the speed of data transfer increases. The data travels between source node and destination node. There is no occurrence of collision when it comes to full duplex Ethernet.


The data cables used for reception and transfer of data are different and rules over the possibility of interference and hence makes the efficiency upto 100%. They can also carry multiple conversations with different computers at one time unlike in Half duplex mode of transmission. Full duplex transmission mode certainly finds its best place in the areas having higher loads and managing various networking paths at one time. It has the potential to cater with larger data traffic in a finer and speedier way. On the other hand Half duplex transmission involves the data transference only in one direction.

Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Domain (CSMA/CD) is a fundamental part of Half Duplex as it has the ability to transmit the data again when collision occurs. Hub is also a vital part of half duplex transmission. It is comparatively not that efficient as compared to the full duplex. 10Base2 uses half duplex. The rate of transmission of 10Base2 is 10 Mbps. It uses a wire of length 185 meters approx. It uses Bus Topology.

The Ethernet Networking also uses 10Base-T where the name signifies that it has the speed of 10 Mbps where T elucidating that twisted pair cabling has been used alongwith either switches or repeater hubs. The segment length is 100 meters.

10Base5 relates to segment length of 500 meters where thick wire cable is used.

The speeds of the Ethernet Network differ and continue to evolve in their own ways with the hike of technology. Rate of transmission of data differ in 10Base2, 10base5, 10BaseT and 10Base TX owing to the speed variation, wire material been used and the length of the transmission wire transmitting the signals and information. Where 10BaseT and 10BaseTX have full duplex support; 10Base2 and 10Base5 work in half duplex mode. 10Base2 and 10Base5 both use 50 ohm thick coaxial cable.

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