Module Review

In this module, we moved down to the electrical and hardware levels of networking:

  1. Ethernet Standards: The evolution of wired networking from 10Mbps copper to multi-gigabit fiber optics.
  2. MAC Addressing: The 48-bit global identifier for hardware, including the OUI (Vendor) and NIC specific sections.
  3. CSMA/CD: The historical mechanism for detecting and handling collisions on a shared medium.
  4. Framing & Error Detection: How data is encapsulated with MAC headers and verified using the CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) checksum.
  5. Wi-Fi: Wireless networking using IEEE 802.11 and the CSMA/CA (Collision Avoidance) protocol.

1. Flash Quiz

1. What is the standard MTU size for a standard Ethernet frame?

  • 1500 Bytes.

2. Which device created separate collision domains for every port?

  • The Network Switch.

3. What address is used for a Broadcast in Ethernet?

  • FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF.

4. Why does Wi-Fi use CSMA/CA instead of CSMA/CD?

  • Wireless radios cannot listen and transmit on the same frequency simultaneously, so they cannot reliably detect a collision while it is happening.

5. How many bits are in a MAC address?

  • 48 bits (represented as 12 hex digits).

2. What’s Next?

In the next module, we leave the local segment and travel to the Network Layer, where we’ll explore IP Addresses, Routing, and the Internet Protocol (IP).