Chapter Summary
The key points covered in this chapter are as follows.
- There are two sets of Ethernet standards: DIX Ethernet and IEEE 802.3, which differ primarily in their frame formats.
- Ethernet supports many different physical layer configurations, using various types of cables: coaxial, twisted pair, and fiber optic.
- Ethernet uses the CSMA/CD media access control mechanism, which relies on the ability of the computers to detect packet collisions when they occur.
- Token Ring supports two physical layer options, called Type 1 cables and Type 3 cables.
- Token Ring uses the token passing MAC mechanism, in which only the system in possession of a special token frame is permitted to transmit data.
- Token Ring uses four different types of frames, while Ethernet uses only one.
- SLIP is a simple protocol that enables two systems connected through their serial ports to exchange messages with very little control overhead.
- PPP is a more complicated end-to-end protocol that enables two systems to negotiate the use of optional features such as authentication protocols and multiple network layer protocols.