!!! Overview
[{$pagename}] is a family of computer [network]ing technologies commonly used in [Local Area Networks] ([LAN]), [Metropolitan Area Networks] ([MAN]) and [Wide Area Networks] ([WAN]).

[{$pagename}] was commercially introduced in [1980|Year 1980] and first standardized in [1983|Year 1983] as [IEEE 802.3], and has since been refined to support higher bit rates and longer link distances. 


[{$pagename}] has largely replaced competing wired [LAN] technologies such as [Token Ring], [FDDI] and [ARCNET].


The original [10BASE5] [{$pagename}] uses [Coaxial Cable] as a shared medium, while the newer [{$pagename}] variants use twisted pair and fiber optic links in conjunction with hubs or switches. Over the course of its [history], [{$pagename}] data transfer rates have been increased from the original 2.94 megabits per second (Mbit/s) to the latest 1,000 gigabits per second (Gbit/s). The [{$pagename}] standards comprise several wiring and signaling variants of the [OSI-Model] [Physical Layer] in use with [{$pagename}].

Systems communicating over [{$pagename}] divide a stream of data into shorter pieces called [frames]. Each [frame] contains source and destination addresses, and error-checking data so that damaged frames can be detected and discarded; most often, higher-layer protocols trigger retransmission of lost frames. As per the [OSI-Model], [{$pagename}] provides services up to and including the [Data-link Layer].

Since its commercial release, [{$pagename}] has retained a good degree of backward compatibility. Features such as the 48-bit [MAC Address] and [{$pagename}] frame format have influenced other networking [protocols]. The primary alternative for some uses of contemporary LANs is [Wi-Fi], a [wireless Network] [protocol] standardized as [IEEE 802.11].

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