Fundamentals of Communications and Networking, 3rd Edition

How Multiple Nodes Share Network Media

How does Ethernet work? How do PCs and workstations send and receive traffic to and from servers? What happens when there are too many workstations trying to communicate? What happens when workstations communicate simultaneously? How did Ethernet evolve to combat these bus topology problems?

Ethernet solved the problem of how to connect multiple PCs and workstations. Along with it came the most popular method of accessing shared media. This access control is what’s referred to as carrier sense multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD); it defines a set of rules for when a PC or workstation can transmit and how to handle collisions. Behind CSMA/CD is a simple concept that only one device can transmit ...