At the Ethernet Innovation Summit this week, Bob Metcalfe explained how Ethernet came to be, why it beat IBM, and where he hopes the future will take his creation.
Metcalfe said that the initial implementation of Ethernet was delivered via a thick coaxial cable because it could be tapped passively. Even in 1973, however, he anticipated that other media would be used in time.
“So we didn’t call it CoaxNet. We called it Ethernet because the Ether could be coax, twisted pair, radio, optical cables, powerline, or whatever you want,” Metcalfe said.
Read the full story at Enterprise Networking Planet:
Metcalfe’s Law: How Ethernet Beat IBM and Changed the World
Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.