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Ethernet Turns 40

Posted by timothy on from the it's-thinking-about-that-optical-sportscar dept.

alancronin writes "Four decades ago the Ethernet protocol made its debut as a way to connect machines in close proximity, today it is the networking layer two protocol of choice for local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs) and everything in between. For many people Ethernet is merely the RJ45 jack on the back of a laptop, but its relative ubiquity and simplicity belie what Ethernet has done for the networking industry and in turn for consumers and enterprises. Ethernet has in the space of 40 years gone from a technology that many in the industry viewed as something not fit for high bandwidth, dependable communications to the default data link protocol."

10 of 159 comments (clear)

  1. Token ring ... by optikos · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... turns over in its grave.

    1. Re:Token ring ... by 0123456 · · Score: 4, Funny

      ATM is the future of networking.

    2. Re:Token ring ... by Darinbob · · Score: 3, Funny

      Really the only problem with token ring was that you'd occasionally lose the token and have to stop work and try to hunt it down.

    3. Re:Token ring ... by rjstanford · · Score: 3, Funny

      Pity. Token ring gets even more interesting when there's a second computer to talk to :)

      --
      You're special forces then? That's great! I just love your olympics!
    4. Re:Token ring ... by Nutria · · Score: 3, Funny

      I can't tell if you're being funny or deserve to be beaten with a stick.

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
  2. LANPARTY! by WillgasM · · Score: 3, Funny

    Break out the BNCs and coax.

  3. You damm kids. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Get off my lan.

    1. Re:You damm kids. by TeknoHog · · Score: 4, Funny

      OMG, I just realized that WLAN is an anagram of LAWN.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  4. Yeah, it drinks pretty heavily now by TWiTfan · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ethernet's fiber-optic wife left him for Wifi. His kids call the new guy daddy. The child support leaves him living in a run down shithole where he can barely even do 10 Mbps. Life just wasn't what he'd hoped it would be.

    --
    The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
  5. Re:Most people would be wrong. by Dynedain · · Score: 5, Funny

    You use KiB instead of KB, don't you?

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