M

MAC and
d Choos
se
O
Objectives
Explain basic
b
switchiing concepts
s.
In this
s activity, you will indicate your
y
knowled
dge of Etherne
et technologyy by successfu
ully comparin
ng legacy
to currrent standard
ds. You will sp
peculate on potential
p
future
e Ethernet tecchnology stan
ndards, and e
explain
why MAC
M
addresses and framin
ng formats ha
ave stayed ba
asically the sa
ame, in order to assist data
a
transm
mission, durin
ng Ethernets evolution.

B
Backgroun
nd/Scenario
o
Note: This activity is best completed in group
ps of 2-3 stud
dents.
Pleas
se view the vid
deo, The Histtory of Ethern
net, located att the following
g link:
http:///www.neteven
nts.tv/video/bo
ob-metcalfe-tthe-history-of--ethernet
Topic
cs discussed in the video in
nclude not only where we h
have come fro
om in Etherne
et developme
ent, but
where
e we are going with Ethern
net technology
y in the future
e!
1. After viewing the video and comparin
ng its contentts to what you
u read in the cchapter, go to
o the web
and search
h for information about Eth
hernet:

How was
w Ethernet used
u
when it was first deve
eloped?

How has
h Ethernet stayed
s
the same over the p
past 25 yearss? What changes are being
g made to
make it more useful and applicab
ble to todayss data transmission method
ds?

ee pictures off old, current, and possible

e future Etherrnet physical m
media and de
evices.
2. Collect thre
Focus your search on switches
s
if pos
ssible. Share these picture
es with the cla
ass and discu
uss:

h
Ethernett physical med
dia and interm
mediary devicces changed?
?
How have

How have
h
Ethernett physical med
dia and interm
mediary devicces stayed the
e same?

How do you think th

he Ethernet will
w change in the future? W
What factors ccould influencce these
changes?

R
Required Resources
R

Intern
net access to video, The History of Ethe
ernet, located at: http://www
w.netevents.tvv/video/bob-m
metcalfethe-hiistory-of-ethernet

Hard-- or soft-copy media for rec

cording answe
ers to questio
ons and for in-class sharing
g.

R
Reflection
1. How was
w Ethernet used when itt was first dev
veloped?
Over a coaxial cable which needed to run from one machine to the next and be terminated at each end of
the line with a load balancing resistor. And if any part of it failed the whole network stopped. Also every
2. How has
h Ethernet stayed the sa
ame over the past 25 yearss? What chan
nges are bein
ng made to make it
machine talked to every other, causing VERY slow communication.
more useful and ap
pplicable to to
odays data trransmission m
methods?
Ethernet is a physical and data link layer technology for local area networks (LANs). Ethernet was
engineer
Robert me
Metcalfe.
3. invented
How have
h byEtherne
et physical
edia and intermediary devicces changed?
?
When first widely deployed in the 1980s, Ethernet supported a maximum theoretical data rate of 10
The original 10base5 was thick yellow cable that you could put a tap on at certain marked points. The tap
megabits per second (Mbps). Later, so-called "Fast Ethernet" standards increased this maximum data
connected to an interface card with a second cable.
rate to 100 Mbps.
Then 10base2 was regular 50-ohm coax cable with BNC connectors. Each station needed a T-connector
and if any of the connectors were unplugged, the whole network died.
2013 Cisco and
d/or its affiliates. All rights reserve
ed. This docume
ent is Cisco Publiic.

Page 1 of 2

MAC and choose

4. How have Ethernet physical media and intermediary devices stayed the same?
After 10base5 10base2 then there was 10baseT using twisted-pair cable and RJ connectors and central
switches or hubs.
5. How do you think the Ethernet will change in the future? What factors could influence these changes?
Then 100baseT with cat5 cable, gigabit with cat6 cable with more twists, still with RJ connectors, which is
Ethernet,
ubiquitous Lan standard, is increasingly being used over longer distances in metropolitan
still in usethe
today.
area networks.
Because Ethernet is already prevalent inside corporate firewalls, the gateway equipment needed to
translate data into carrier standards such as ATM and Sonet is not required.

2013 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public.

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