Ethernet frames organize data for transfer over computer networks. They consist of addresses, data, and an error-checking field. Ethernet is a set of technologies used for local area networks and uses data packets to transmit information. Each packet contains address fields, actual data, and an error control field. The error control field creates a code number to ensure the data is correct. It can be compared to a physical package sent by mail.
An Ethernet frame is a way of organizing sections of data for transfer over a computer network. The frame is one of the key elements of the Ethernet system, one of the most widespread types of local area network. It consists of three elements: a pair of addresses, the data itself, and an error-checking field.
Strictly speaking, Ethernet is the name of a set of technologies and systems rather than the name of a network itself. Ethernet is commonly used for local area networks, where connected computers are in the same physical location, such as a home or office building. The name Ethernet is also used for a specific type of physical connection i.e. cat5 cable with RJ45 plug. This is better known as an Ethernet cable and connects to virtually all computers and other network devices.
An Ethernet-based network uses data packets to transmit information. This means that transferred files or commands are split into small collections of data. Each of these collections is then bundled together and sent as one piece, with the “packages” reassembled at the other end. The idea is that if there is a problem with the transmission of a particular packet, the rest of the data can continue to be transmitted while the computers try to fix the problem.
The packet contains three types of data, arranged in an Ethernet frame. The first type of data in each packet is address fields, which identify the particular computers sending and receiving the data. This ensures it doesn’t end up on the wrong machine on a network.
The second type is the actual data that is transmitted. Each packet contains between 64 and 1,500 bytes of data. This means that even a file of just 1 Mb can be split into a thousand or more packages.
The third type of data in an Ethernet frame is the error control field. This involves creating a code number that varies depending on the length and content of the data contained in the packet. When the receiving computer receives the packet, it will use the same system to create its own code number from the data it receives. If the two code numbers do not match, the machine will know that some data is missing or incorrect and will ask for it to be sent again.
One way to understand how the different elements of an Ethernet frame work in a data packet is to imagine a physical packet sent by mail. The address fields are equivalent to the delivery and sender addresses written on the package. The data itself is equivalent to the contents of the package. The error-checking field is equivalent to a list of contents placed inside the packet so that the recipient can check that everything is there.
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