The Collision Problem That Crippled Ethernet (And How We Solved It)

Ever wonder how computers actually talk to each other over a wire? In this episode of ScienceLive, we break it all down — starting with the earliest Ethernet networks running over coaxial cable, through the switch to Cat5 cabling, and into the fundamental building block of all network communication: the packet.

You’ll learn what packets are, how they carry your data across a network, and why early Ethernet had a serious flaw — data collisions that could bring an entire network to its knees. We explain why collisions happen and what they mean for the data you’re trying to send.

Then comes the part we’re most excited about: how my team and I discovered a solution to stop packet collisions entirely, leading to the invention of WideBand networking. In this episode we give you the teaser — next week, we’ll teach you exactly how it works.

This lesson is for anyone who wants to truly understand computer networking from the ground up — how Ethernet came about, how it works, and where it’s headed.

About DrB

Dr. Roger Billings is a visionary innovator whose work has touched the lives of millions of students and transformed the landscape of education. Widely known as “DrB” to the countless kids who benefit from his groundbreaking Acellus learning system, Dr. Billings has dedicated his life to advancing education through technology. As part of DrB’s lifelong commitment to supporting education, Science LIVE was launched as a way to “give back” by mentoring students in conjunction with the Roger Billings Scholarship Program.


Read more about DrB » 
About the Roger Billings Scholarship Program »

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5,043 Comments

  1. Madison

    Hi from Tennessee!

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  2. Kynzlee

    Thanks for the scholarship!!! 🙂

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  3. Draydon

    science is so awesome

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  4. Valkyrie

    I loved science live this week!!! see you next week!!!

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  5. Ava

    Hi from sd

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  6. Clayton

    i always look forward to seeing these lives!

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  7. Melanie

    I love science live!

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  8. Sydney

    I love the idea of maybe going to space one day! Another awesome video!

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  9. Madison

    Love the lives!

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  10. Juliette

    This love is awesome! It makes me understand science more.

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  11. Kimberlyn

    100/100

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  12. Weston

    This science live was very interesting this week.

    Reply
  13. Zion

    How does the Ethernet affect cell phones and tablets? More specifically, how does the interconnection apply to these devices? Do they use a smaller system between each other? On the other hand, are they connected to the same system as computers and laptops?

    Reply
  14. Tachmia

    hi from virginia

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  15. Addison

    loved this live!!

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  16. Kade

    I love being a Acellus student , And being able to learn so much from Science live.

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  17. Brianna

    good video looking forward to what’s next

    Reply
  18. Enzo

    It’s amazing how Ron Crane went to Stanford and M.I.T

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  19. Bjorn

    I love science live!

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  20. Amy

    Cool episode! 10/10!

    Reply
  21. Giancarlo

    10/10 science live today.

    Reply
  22. Jasmine

    these lives are always so imforming

    Reply
  23. Nicolas

    I think the Ethernet cable is one of the greatest inventions ever! Another amazing Science live Dr. Billings

    Reply
  24. Alana

    I enjoyed this episode. Thank you!

    Reply
  25. Arianna

    Good evening from Georgia!

    Reply
  26. Ashton

    Love how you guys manage to get better every week.

    Reply
  27. Alexis

    how does electricity travel so fast?

    Reply
  28. Amaya

    This science live was very fun!

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  29. Vincent

    every live video is so exciting to watch!

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  30. Vu

    I love it thank you so much and very funny

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  31. Athena

    Interesting live tonight, hello from nv!

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  32. Vu

    I love it thank you so much

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  33. Benny

    I love watching these videos from acellus!

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  34. Gavin

    Hi from Kentucky

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  35. Pierson

    Hello from Illinois!

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  36. Timothy

    this is awesome on the learning of science

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  37. London

    This was a awesome video I loved R51 so much

    Reply
  38. Alexa

    Alexa from Florida

    Reply
  39. Venus

    This is amazing!!

    Reply
  40. Presley

    Networking is so interesting!! I wonder how gigabit Ethernet runs faster?

    Reply
  41. Kennedy

    The “Ethernet” process was very neat and how very neat and how computers could be connected.

    Reply
  42. Jack

    I thought it was very interesting how they solved the problem of all the collisions.

    Reply
  43. Kalyna

    Hi from Las Vegas

    Reply
  44. Jensen

    So cool to see how far the internet has come.. we can’t wait to hear the rest of the story next week!

    Reply
  45. Yaneli

    Hi from Texas awesome science live tonight!

    Reply
  46. Marie

    I love to hear the back stories about how we got the technology we use every day!

    Reply
  47. Joshua

    I love Mr. Billings
    I am so grateful for Science LIVE

    Reply
  48. Haven

    Why do people think that they didnt really go to moon?

    Reply
  49. Silas

    it’s awesome how much technology has changed. When you were talking about a gigabit standard, I thought about the possibility of a speed of 1 terabit/second.

    Reply
  50. Bryar

    always look forward to these lives

    Reply
  51. Ryder

    Tuning in from sd very excited to watch another science live tonight!

    Reply
  52. Mckenzie

    Loved the lesson thank you!

    Reply
  53. Gloria

    Why are they waiting until 2028 to land on moon and not just land there now?

    Reply
  54. Kamilah

    I enjoy watching the live they are cool.

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  55. Andrew

    This live was awesome!!

    Reply
  56. Roberto

    Hello from Connecticut! Sorry that I’m late.

    Reply
  57. Kyra

    Wow i have been waiting for science live!!

    Reply
  58. Aidan

    How much time did it take until they made the link card

    Reply
  59. Aryiannah

    it gets better and better every week !

    Reply
  60. Dominic

    Another great episode. The new program of having the local school fund the tuition of Acellus students for the parents sake is very decent and hopefully can heavily help the parents out.

    Reply
  61. Halle

    This lesson was so interesting thank you so much!

    Reply
  62. Cocoa-chanel

    This was such a cool science live

    Reply
  63. Max

    My favorite part was the poem your mom told you. It must have been hard to hear your friend taking credit for your idea and even harder to not say anything.

    Reply
  64. Alexis

    Hi from California! great live this week

    Reply
  65. Olivia

    I love fishing!

    Reply
  66. Joseph

    science live is cool.

    Reply
  67. Monte

    I like acellus

    Reply
  68. Maxton

    this is great! love watching these lives

    Reply
  69. Kayleigh

    Watching from Texas

    Reply
  70. Tanner

    wow!!! Ethernet is such an interesting thing and it has really made our world the way it is, i love it!

    Reply
  71. Keegan

    Watching from Texas

    Reply
  72. Connor

    All these cool things are amazing! I love seeing all the things you guys show us each week!

    Reply
  73. Sophie

    Hello from missouri!

    Reply
  74. Connor

    i loved science live this week

    Reply
  75. Krystle

    I love these science lives!

    Reply
  76. Rebeka

    That was super cool!

    Reply
  77. Ilan

    I find it intriguing how ethernet works with the constant signals and collisions!

    Reply
  78. Elizabeth

    I loved learning about the history of ethernet

    Reply
  79. Jacy

    I loved this live! So interesting!

    Reply
  80. Tyler

    wonderful science live. I love watching these. I feel like every time I watch them. I’ve already learned a lot, but I’m always ending up learning more. The science lives truly open education and imagination, and I love learning while watching them

    Reply
  81. Gael

    Area 51 was funny! He was at a baseball game. I couldn’t stop laughing!

    Reply
  82. Sky

    I would like to go to the moon one day. There might be something on it that we still haven’t found.

    Reply
  83. Erza

    Why did the ethernet have a flaw?

    Reply
  84. Katie

    i like these live more and more I get teached more and more that I don’t know

    Reply
  85. Oaklie

    It was cool to see the process of connecting computers.

    Reply
  86. Allyson

    I love science live so much!!! thank you for teaching me what ethernet is !

    Reply
  87. Bentley

    Definitely love Science live !!! Excited for tonight

    Reply
  88. London

    Science live is a wonderful way to learn new things!

    Reply
  89. Demauri

    I saw videos and pictures of Artemis 2 trip to the moon. It was cool and they had great pictures.

    Reply
  90. Season

    I enjoy watching science live

    Reply
  91. Kiyona

    Science is my best subject!

    Reply
  92. Daxton

    Hello from Colorado!

    Reply
  93. Cali

    Tuning in from Texas!!

    Reply
  94. Aaron

    Look forward to these videos!

    Reply
  95. Ladara

    Amazing live! I really enjoy enjoy these stories!

    Reply
  96. Sialsiabil

    It’s very interesting. I really like it!!

    Reply
  97. Joseph

    This is a great science live guys!

    Reply
  98. Kasen

    Amazing how far technology has come.

    Reply
  99. Derek

    I love science live

    Reply
  100. Kristal

    This was a very interesting video and it made me enjoy science even more. The Ethernet is a cool invention.

    Reply
  101. Nivaya

    So happy to learn something NEW

    Reply
  102. Tyler

    Ethernet is so fast

    Reply
  103. Vu

    Hii from Vietnam

    Reply
  104. Zander

    when will the gold key be ready

    Reply
  105. Julius

    I love the live science is great

    Reply
  106. Elysian

    currently artimis 2 is the farthest ship that humans traveled

    Reply
  107. Kingston

    I love Science Live!!!

    Reply
  108. Ava

    I really enjoyed this video I’m grateful to be able to watch it

    Reply
  109. Daniel

    I love how informative these are

    Reply
  110. Landan

    I love being an Acellus Academy Student.

    Reply
  111. Chloe

    It’s so cool to hear how ethernet affects the internet!

    Reply
  112. Landen

    Very interesting, I think i’m getting into science thanks to science live!

    Reply
  113. Tyler

    I had never heard of an ethernet before

    Reply
  114. Abigail

    Happy science live day!

    Reply
  115. Ryder

    Amazing video! See you next week!

    Reply
  116. Aleika

    I had never heard of ethernet until now

    Reply
  117. Diego

    great. Live more and more will come.

    Reply
  118. Julissa

    Hello from Connecticut!

    Reply
  119. Isabella

    Hi from Ohio!!!!

    Reply
  120. Kyson

    Hi from fort scott

    Reply
  121. Aleika

    I love this live!!! It’s made me love science even more !

    Reply
    • Dillon

      I like acellus

      Reply
    • Tessah

      i love science live!!

      Reply
    • Landon

      Cool!

      Reply
    • Eliana

      So so cool, hope they do more like this.

      Reply
    • Briley

      Love these!

      Reply
    • Deshon

      This one is interesting I like it

      Reply
    • Yasnah

      Such a great and informative live!

      Reply
  122. Briannette

    Love this episode

    Reply
  123. John

    How long did it take for Ethernet to get standardized?

    Reply
  124. Emma

    Science live is good and exciting.

    Reply
  125. Elizabeth

    hi from colorado!

    Reply
  126. Cameron

    I love watching these!!!

    Reply
  127. Kaylee

    Great Science Live! Thank you

    Reply
  128. Irene

    Great live, Hi from Florida

    Reply
  129. Jayme

    I didn’t know about the Ethernet before.

    Reply
  130. Evelyn

    Hi from Illinois!

    Reply
  131. Angie

    Hi from MT

    I would like more information about Ethernet topic . The two boys talked about connected wires to the printers and computers. I am so glad the Ethernet is working .

    Reply
  132. Aleika

    Hello from Texas!!!

    Reply
  133. Demarco

    this is a good one

    Reply
  134. Skylar

    Hello from Nevada!

    Reply
  135. Keagan

    This was awesome!!

    Reply
  136. Maile

    Very interesting! Mr. Billings is an incredible person. I like to hear his stories. I love Science Live and Acellus

    Reply
    • Hudson

      Soldering so many boards by hand must take a while.

      Reply
    • Terrence

      I actually want to get into the electrical trade

      Reply
  137. Wyatt

    Watching this with an ethernet connection!

    Reply
  138. Julius

    Cool I liked today’s video

    Reply
  139. Blair

    Hello from FL!

    Reply
  140. Weston

    Ethernet is so cool!

    Reply
  141. Collin

    10/10

    Reply
    • Emily

      Third comment tonight. Ethernet video made well.

      Reply
    • Dwight

      Love this lol this is so educational

      Reply
    • Lily

      Science LIve is always intresting. We have been watching the Artmies II launch. This lesson about the Ethernet cable was a great thing to make.

      Reply
  142. Jaden

    Hi from Tillamook, OR What causes collisions in Ethernet?

    Reply
  143. Cross

    Great video today!

    Reply
  144. Destinee

    Acellus just knows how to make these lives better and better every Wednesday.

    Reply
  145. Rylan

    This already looks awesome

    Reply
  146. Makayla

    do I have to comment to get credit for the scholarship?

    Reply
  147. Sanaya

    This episode was so intriguing , I wonder what next weeks topic will be on

    Reply
  148. Daina

    Hey! I’m from Nebraska!

    Reply
  149. Ashtyn

    I will be looking for R51

    Reply
  150. Robert

    I love science live! It’s amazing!

    Reply
  151. Ilina

    Loved this science live !

    Reply
  152. Remy

    very enjoyable science live

    Reply
  153. Sandra

    I love being an Acellus Academy Student.

    Reply
  154. Sofia

    this very cool to lean

    Reply
  155. Savannah

    This is Savannah from rosepine!

    Reply
  156. Cameron

    This is so cool.

    Reply
  157. Natalie

    very interesting video

    Reply
  158. Brynn

    thanks for making this!

    Reply
  159. Chayoung

    Hello from Tennessee!

    Reply
  160. Von

    Hi from tn

    Reply
  161. Ethan

    this was a intresting since live

    Reply
  162. Amir

    Hii from Chicago

    Reply
  163. Julius

    that was so cool I love the ethernet!

    Reply
  164. Rafe

    This was one of my favorite science lives, cant wait for more.

    Reply
  165. Olive

    From WV! I never heard of Ethernet before, that was a very interesting live tonight!

    Reply
  166. Chuck

    Hello from tennessee

    Reply
  167. Destiny

    Hello from New Jersey

    Reply
  168. Dau

    This was great!!!

    Reply
  169. Izzabella

    Hello from Georgia, USA

    Reply
  170. Dajonique

    how long does it take to make electric things?

    Reply
  171. Blakyn

    Hi from Kansas City

    Reply
  172. Jamysin

    Thanks for the new science live! Really enjoyed this one.

    Reply
  173. Isabella

    This was awesome!

    Reply
  174. Maxton

    The story about how they made the Ethernet is really cool

    Reply
  175. Abdiel

    Hello from new Orleans

    Reply

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