Before we start our journey into the exciting world of Ethernet technologies, we really need to understand how important Ethernet is in today's networking. We will be learning not only about collision domains and broadcast domains, but also about half duplex versus full duplex, cabling, and the Cisco three layer model. Understanding all these concepts and technologies will help you become a more efficient network engineer.
In this chapter, you will not only learn the concepts of Ethernet but also, through diagrams, you will get a visual picture of setting up a network and why you are using the equipment you use.
We will be covering the following topics in this chapter:
- A brief overview of Ethernet networks
- Cabling in Ethernet networks
- The Cisco three-layer model