Overview
Since the inception of local-area networks (LANs) in the 1970s, numerous LAN technologies have come and gone. The Attached Resource Computer Network (ARCNet), a coaxial-based LAN technology using a token-bus access method, is one example of an essentially defunct LAN technology. ARCNet was the basis for some of the earliest office networks in the 1980s.

ARCNet (2-Mbps) was easy to deploy in an office with only a few workstations. ARCNet (2-Mbps) enjoyed limited success on the market because higher-speed technologies such as 10-megabit-per-second (Mbps) Ethernet and 4-Mbps Token Ring were introduced soon after its inception. With the higher-bandwidth capacity of these newer technologies and the rapid development of high-speed workstations, ARCNet was quickly phased out of the marketplace. 

LAN technologies such as Ethernet, Token Ring, and Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) have managed to remain in existence. The legacy networks (Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI) continue to be utilized as distribution and backbone technologies for both manufacturing and office environments. But, like ARCNet, even these technologies see higher-speed networks such as Fast Ethernet and ATM crowding them out. However, due to the wide installation and use of legacy systems, they will likely remain in place for many more years. Users will replace Ethernet and Token Ring in phases as applications demand more bandwidth. 

In this chapter, you will learn about legacy, or standard Ethernet, as well as Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet. In addition, you will learn how the access methods operate, some of the physical characteristics of each, and various frame formats and address types.