Where does the name Ethernet come from?

The luminiferous ether once thought to carry light

What does Metcalfe's law say?

A network's value grows with the square of its users

Ethernet Quiz: Bob Metcalfe and the Xerox PARC Network

A 1973 memo at a California research lab described a way to link computers with a single cable, and this Ethernet quiz traces how it became the backbone of local networks. Play 10 interactive questions on Bob Metcalfe and David Boggs, Xerox PARC, the luminiferous ether, coaxial cable, collision detection, IEEE 802.3, 3Com, Metcalfe's law and the 2022 Turing Award.

Start Ethernet Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Inventor
Who is credited with inventing Ethernet?
Lab
Where was Ethernet developed?
Name
Where does the name Ethernet come from?
Cable
What kind of cable did early Ethernet use?
Speed
Roughly how fast was the first experimental Ethernet?
Collisions
How did early Ethernet handle two devices transmitting at once?
Standard
Which IEEE standard defines Ethernet?
Company
Which company did Metcalfe found in 1979?
Law
What does Metcalfe's law say?
Award
Which major award did Metcalfe receive in 2022?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Who is credited with inventing Ethernet?
Answer: Bob Metcalfe, with David Boggs
Work began in 1973.
Q2: Where was Ethernet developed?
Answer: Xerox PARC
PARC also pioneered the graphical interface.
Q3: Where does the name Ethernet come from?
Answer: The luminiferous ether once thought to carry light
The cable carried signals to all machines.
Q4: What kind of cable did early Ethernet use?
Answer: Thick coaxial cable
Twisted pair came later.
Q5: Roughly how fast was the first experimental Ethernet?
Answer: About 3 megabits per second
It linked Alto computers.
Q6: How did early Ethernet handle two devices transmitting at once?
Answer: Collision detection and retry
This is called CSMA/CD.
Q7: Which IEEE standard defines Ethernet?
Answer: 802.3
802.11 is Wi-Fi.
Q8: Which company did Metcalfe found in 1979?
Answer: 3Com
It sold networking cards.
Q9: What does Metcalfe's law say?
Answer: A network's value grows with the square of its users
It describes network effects.
Q10: Which major award did Metcalfe receive in 2022?
Answer: The Turing Award
It is computing's highest honor.

Ethernet Quiz – Bob Metcalfe and the Xerox PARC Network

Ethernet was developed at Xerox PARC in 1973 by Bob Metcalfe with David Boggs. Metcalfe named it after the luminiferous ether, once imagined to carry light, because one cable carried signals to every connected computer.

Early Ethernet used thick coaxial cable and ran at about 3 megabits per second. Devices listened before sending and detected collisions, retrying after random delays, a method called CSMA/CD. DEC, Intel and Xerox promoted it, and IEEE standardized it as 802.3.

Metcalfe founded 3Com in 1979 and proposed Metcalfe's law about network value. Ethernet moved to twisted-pair cables with RJ45 plugs and now runs at hundreds of gigabits per second. Metcalfe received the Turing Award in 2022.

What This Quiz Teaches

Tech fans will enjoy these questions.

Who invented Ethernet
Where it began
How it worked
How it was standardized
How it changed computing

Did You Know?

Ethernet cables still connect most offices and data centers.
Wi-Fi was designed to work alongside Ethernet.
Metcalfe's memo was dated May 22, 1973.
Power over Ethernet can run devices like cameras.
Gigabit Ethernet is now common at home.