Ethernet: The Definitive Guide: Designing and Managing Local Area Networks
Get up to speed on the latest Ethernet capabilities for building and maintaining networks for everything from homes and offices to data centers and server machine rooms. This thoroughly revised, comprehensive guide covers a wide range of Ethernet technologies, from basic operation to network management, based on the authors’ many years of field experience.
When should you upgrade to higher speed Ethernet? How do you use switches to build larger networks? How do you troubleshoot the system? This book provides the answers. If you’re looking to build a scalable network with Ethernet to satisfy greater bandwidth and market requirements, this book is indeed the definitive guide.
- Examine the most widely used media systems, as well as advanced 40 and 100 gigabit Ethernet
- Learn about Ethernet’s four basic elements and the IEEE standards
- Explore full-duplex Ethernet, Power over Ethernet, and Energy Efficient Ethernet
- Understand structured cabling systems and the components you need to build your Ethernet system
- Use Ethernet switches to expand and improve network design
- Delve into Ethernet performance, from specific channels to the entire network
- Get troubleshooting techniques for problems common to twisted-pair and fiber optic systems
Why Read This Book
You will get a practical, up-to-date guide to Ethernet fundamentals and advanced topics that matter when you design, integrate, or troubleshoot networked embedded systems. The book emphasizes real-world practice—cabling, PHY/MAC interfacing, switch behavior, and diagnostic techniques you can apply immediately.
Who Will Benefit
Embedded hardware and firmware engineers, system integrators, and architects who must design, integrate, or troubleshoot Ethernet in products and devices.
Level: Intermediate — Prerequisites: Basic TCP/IP and networking concepts plus familiarity with digital electronics and embedded systems (pins, interfaces, and basic signal concepts).
Key Takeaways
- Understand Ethernet framing, MAC behavior, and basic link-layer operations relevant to embedded networked devices.
- Select and design appropriate physical-layer solutions (cabling, transceivers, fiber vs. copper) for product requirements.
- Interface MACs to PHYs using MII/RMII/GMII/RGMII/SGMII and use MDIO for PHY management.
- Configure and reason about switches, VLANs, link aggregation, and how they affect embedded endpoints.
- Troubleshoot network issues using tools and techniques (link negotiation, error counters, packet capture) to isolate hardware vs. configuration faults.
- Plan bandwidth and upgrade paths (GigE, 10GbE, 40/100GbE) and understand their deployment trade-offs.
Topics Covered
- Introduction to Ethernet: history and concepts
- Ethernet framing and MAC-layer behavior
- CSMA/CD and link operation (legacy concepts)
- Physical layers: copper, fiber, and media types
- Cabling, connectors, and installation practices
- PHYs, transceivers, and auto-negotiation
- MAC/PHY interfaces: MII, RMII, GMII, RGMII, SGMII, MDIO
- Switching fundamentals: MAC learning, forwarding, and spanning tree
- VLANs, link aggregation, and QoS basics
- High-speed Ethernet: Gigabit to 40/100 GbE
- Network management, OAM, and diagnostics
- Troubleshooting and measurement techniques
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
More practical and implementation-focused than general networking textbooks like Kurose & Ross, and far more accessible and applied for engineers than reading the IEEE 802.3 specs directly.
