Ethernet Technical Summary

Table of Contents

1.0 Ethernet Overview

1.1 What is Ethernet?
1.2 The History of Ethernet
1.3 Ethernet Standards

2.0 Ethernet Frame Structure

2.1 Frame Format
2.2 Interframe Gap
2.3 Frame Format Extensions
2.3.1 VLAN Tagging
2.3.2 Extension Field
2.3.3 Frame Bursting
2.3.4 Jumbo Frames

3.0 Ethernet Media Access Control

3.1 Half-Duplex Ethernet (CSMA/CD Access Protocol)
3.1.1 Slot Time
3.1.2 Backoff
3.1.3 Capture Effect
3.2 Full-Duplex Ethernet
3.2.1 PAUSE Frames
3.2.2 Link Aggregation

4.0 Ethernet Physical Layer Specifications

4.1 Physical Layer Summary
4.2 10 Mb/s Physical Layers
4.2.1 10Base5
4.2.2 10Base2
4.2.3 10Base-T
4.2.4 10Broad36
4.2.5 FIORL
4.2.6 10Base-F
4.2.7 10Base-FL
4.2.8 10Base-FB
4.2.9 10Base-FP
4.3 100 Mb/s Physical Layers
4.3.1 100Base-T
4.3.2 100Base-X
4.3.3 100Base-TX
4.3.4 100Base-FX
4.3.5 100Base-T4
4.3.6 100Base-T2
4.4 1000 Mb/s Physical Layers
4.4.1 1000Base-X
4.4.2 1000Base-LX
4.4.3 1000Base-SX
4.4.4 1000Base-CX
4.4.5 1000Base-T

5.0 Ethernet Cabling and Connectors

5.1 Twisted Pair Cabling
5.1.1 Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)
5.1.2 Screened Twisted Pair (ScTP)
5.1.3 Shielded Twisted Pair (STP)

5.2 Coaxial Cabling
5.2.1 Thicknet
5.2.2 Thinnet
5.2.3 CATV
5.2.4 Twinax

5.3 Fiber Optic Cabling
5.3.1 Multi-mode Fiber (MMF)
5.3.2 Single-mode Fiber (SMF)

5.4 Ethernet Connectors
5.4.1 RJ-45
5.4.2 AUI
5.4.3 MII

Appendix A: Ethernet Glossary