Ethernet: distributed packet switching for local computer networks
Communications of the ACM
Standard and protocol: Report of the IEEE 802 local network standards Committee: an evaluation
Computer Communications
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Digital, Intel and Xerox (DIX) have published an Ethernet standard that specifies the physical and datalink layers of Ethernet, one of the two types of local area networks likely to be widely used in industrial and commerical applications. The publication of the DIX specification is a commercial exercise intended to encourage the implementation and marketing of Ethernet-compatible network elements. In the Computer Science Department at Strathclyde University the authors followed this specification to some extent in implementing an Ethernet-style local network called Strathnet. In their implementation, the physical and datalink layers are built into microprocessor-based network-access units by means of which computers, terminals and other devices are connected to Strathnet. The paper discusses the feasibility and desirability of building local networks to the standards of the Ethernet specification and in the light of this discussion outlines the author's approach in the implementation of Strathnet.