ABSTRACT
The most popular LAN technology is Ethernet. Originally, the Ethernet network was constructed on a bus system (Figure 3.1).
In this system, each host on an Ethernet bus is connected to a transceiver that converts the digital signals used by computer equipment to analog signals used by analog hardware, or vice versa. At each end of the bus, a terminator absorbs the electric signals that reach it. In this way, terminators prevent electric signals from bouncing back to cause collision with other electric signals. After years of development, the functionalities of the transceiver and terminator were built into a small network device called a hub. Computers and network devices are linked to a hub with twisted-pair cables (Figure 3.2).
