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Re: Internet Core Routing - Ethernet
- From: Stephen Sprunk
- Date: Mon Sep 30 11:49:23 2002
Thus spake <Valdis.Kletnieks@vt.edu>
> > 2. Ethernet is the technology.
>
> Excuse me if I chuckle, having heard THAT before in the last 2 decades or so.
>
> I've learned to not take *anybody* seriously when they say something is "THE"
> anything. Structured programming wasn't the end-all, nor was ATM, nor was
> Java, nor will XML or Ethernet. Yes, 10G-E will probably see wide deployment.
> But I'll make a prediction - there will be something else coming out to
> replace it long before it finishes replacing what's out there now.
>
> (For bonus points, compare the level-1 media characteristics of the original
> 10mbit-over-thickwire with the 10gig-over-optical, and ask yourself if there's
> anything in common other than the name.
The electrical characteristics of 10BaseT aren't all that similar to 10Base[25]
either. However, all of the 802.3 variants use CSMA/CD for half-duplex
operation, and 802.11's CSMA/CA is reasonably similar. All of the 802.3 and
802.11 variants use the same MAC and LLC layers.
Sure, the framing and modulation has varied over time. GE's undersize-frame
packing was a neat innovation, 10GE's elimination of half-duplex was a bit
overdue, jumbo frames could be neat if they ever get deployed, and 802.1p/q
opened a lot of doors. However, throughout Ethernet's evolution, it's remained
essentially the same beast from the user's perspective, and the L2 operation is
still the same.
Do I get my bonus points? :)
S
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