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
Read more about DrB »
About the Roger Billings Scholarship Program »
I loved watching this!
Amazing science live this week! Great work!!
What’s an equalizer?
Loved the Science Live this week. Great topics.
Thanks for another great video!
Science wouldn’t be here without Hypotheses!!!
This live was so awesome!
Aloha from Hawaii
Science Live’s are the best! Thank you so much
One of my favorite lives
Artemis 2 is cool !
From korea here !!!
This science live was great. It was interesting to learn about the collision problem and how it was solved.
this week science live was great as always
Another amazing live!!
Hello from Iowa
Loved this episode!
I love science!
hi taelyn from Iowa thank you for doing this
How did Artemis 11 go?
love the science live this week it was so good.
didnt know ethernet was this cool cant wait for next time
Amazing Science Live this time around! Ethernet was interesting to hear about.
A billion bits per second is crazy! I really enjoyed learning in this video!!!
Sorry im so late ive been so sick but the live from Wednesday was absolutley amazing!! *
I really enjoyed watching this science live!
I wish could see how the first version of ethernet worked.
The Collision problem is so interesting. It’s so cool how kinetic energy is persevered, and depending on the impact it’s large or small mass that bounces back! And how if objects stay together the kinetic energy is lost.
This is a beautiful lesson! Keep up the great work and continue with the lessons. I sure do love science live!
enjoyed the science live this week
The fact that you are able to have 3x times faster internet speed just by being plugged into the router is awesome to me.
Great Live this week!
How many gigabytes make up a zetabyte?
Collision is such a cool word to me idk why
this episode was very interesting I loved it:)
I loved when you talked about your hypothesis
Thank you for the science live.
I love watching this video
Great Live This week .
Hi, ready to learn something new tonight!
I loved this one so much!!
Great live! The ethernet has been worked on to perfect the internet and so much more
Hi from Texas!!!!!!
Very interesting! Thank you.
So cool to hear about the ethernet!!
i loved the video
Have an amazing week everyone!
sorry i watched it late but thank you!!!
Amazing and informational science live this week!
love these science lives!
Ethernet is so awesome if we did’t have it I would have to write a letter or go to his house every time I would want’t to see him or talk to him.
I love Mr Roger’s
These are cool
thank you dr billings for creating better ethernet
Loved this live! Thank you!
Watching from south carolina
This is so cool!
I really enjoyed this weeks episode and learning about the collision problem.
I love Science Live!
Great Science Live this week, Thank you!
Ron Crane is really smart how did they figure that out?
I think it is amazing that Artimis II will go around the moon!
What makes the jellyfish effect when some rockets get launched?
I love Science Live!
It was interesting learning about Ethernet
If the boxes are going to have a collision, what if it malfuctions?
this is so fun to watch!! loved it!!!
I love science !!!!!!
Jillions of inventioneers!
I love how anyone can be a scientist if they use hypothesis and theories! I love science live!!
Hello from Florida.
I love the lives.
I love these videos
Nice science live this week!
Super interesting subject I loved this
I really loved science live this week!
Ethernet tech is so cool.
this is so cool
Does the the military gets their inventions from the public, or vice versa?
Computers are so cool
I LOVE watching the science lives
This is one of my favorite episodes.
science live videos are great to watch.
Loved this episode.
loved this so much thank you guys for going out of your way to do these even though its your job
This week’s video is so cool!!
Hi from New Jersey!
My favorite part of the day!
I really enjoyed this video.
Such great videos, watching from Texas!
It was cool to learn about Ethernet!
The internet and how it works is amazing.
Awesome Live this week!! Thank you!
Great science video for new week!
Very interesting as always
Science Live was so much fun this week I really enjoyed this one!!!
i’m so sorry I missed two weeks of science live I was really busy Florida
science live was great !
so sorry for missing two weeks aside
. live I was really really really really, really busy Florida
I enjoyed science live. Thanks
Another fantastic Science Live, thanks Acellus crew!
Thank you for the science live videos!
I loved this video!!! Science is always so interesting!
Great class this week
Science is amazing
You guys are really smart
Great episode very excited for the next one
Science is my favorite subject. I love this tune into these.
The science lives are so interesting and cool to learn
Great Science Live this week, thank you!
Loved this video this week!
I loved learning about the microchip.
Science live is always so cool! This one was great! I cant wait for next weeks episode!
Thank you for the video this week, i enjoyed it.
I am so tired. My grandma passed and my family and me just did a long drive. But I still love science live. I think how you solved it is pretty cool. I am going to bed now good night.
Good video. I learned some stuff I didn’t know Thanks.
Thank you for teaching us about Ethernet cables and the internet
Here from Texas!
I enjoyed this weeks Science Live. Thank you.
This is so cool! Learning about networks is awesome!
I wish there was a way to check the students’ side of things to see if I’ve received credit for Science Live. Because of the generation my parents grew up in, they struggle a lot with technology, and so they rely on me to relay info to them. Please, Acellus, please make something so I can check if I’ve received credit or not. Thanks!
-Raya
Keep up the hard work I love these so much.
hi this live is great and I like how you explained the video
this was really interesting
I love science live
great science live this week!!
Cool Science Live!
I like learning how we can solve a collision from crashing.
Awesome science live! It’s always an awesome time to watch!
Science Live Here I Come!
Here in from the Lone Star State 😉
Why is Ethernet called Ethernet ?
This was so cool!
I loved Artemis 2!
I love it this is great this is the best of the week
heyy I loved learning about the hypothesissss
Loved this weeks episode!
Hi, from Houston
I wonder how many years it took to create the Ethernet??
I loved this video.
This is AWSOME I was so intrigued by the thumbnail!
i love watching every single week!!!
The Artemis trip was pretty cool.
great episode! much thanks guys!
Science live is so cool!
I love science live
hi from north carolina!
This is very intresting and I’m glad I got to watch it
Have you found R-51 yet? I hope he is ok.
Woahh Ethernet is cool! 😀
I liked this part! Who made Ethernet?
Wow these lives are always great!
What are some new classes we can look forward to in the future?
It’s so cool learning new things!!
i loved when you talked about hypothesis and theories your so smart and awesome
great science live.
Hi I am from NC
It’s funny how someone told you for 3 hours that an idea wouldn’t work, but then he almost took credit for it. Also I hope R-51 comes back soon.
hello from tennessee
I love learning science.
Thank you for teaching about the ethernet!
I hadn’t heard about Ethernet before, very cool
Thank you for the live
I learned something new! What is Cat5?
I liked this lesson! What if too many packets come?
I love Science Live!
This was fun! Is WideBand faster?
amazing science live its pretty cool
I love science live!
this live was very cool :>
science live is the best
Very interesting as always, I love it .
This was interesting! Is networking like roads?
The information that sicence live provides is unbelievable!
Its interesting to see how far the technology has come!