Here's what I think about Ethernet and why it so much in use today: Now, UNIVERSITIES ARE NOT, I repeat NOT selecting Ethernet on their own...no no no...MIT started with the Cambridge ring for instance...anyway, it is the MACHINES Universities choose that use 802.3 (not ETHERNET), machines such as the VAX, SUN, SILICON GRAPHICS, SEQUENT, etc....now...the BIGGEST interest is in the VAX equipment (Oh, the Mainframes that are on campus are out numbered by the minis...so they too are forced into using 802.3)...and VAX is made by DEC...and DEC+Intel+Xerox = DIX, what is DIX, that is the standard governing THICK 802.3!....ta-da....now, why did DEC go with Xerox's "ethernet"...because it was still in the "underground" days of ethernet (to become 802.3) and DEC could play a power role in its developed and put their name on it..!!!...now, ARCnet had been around and already installed a bunch, it was an est. technology ....so DEC didn't see the ($) in using ARCnet since they would have to license the technology rather than play a part in its development (which means no licensing fees since they helped develop it!)...Now, DEC is big in Universities so big, OTHERS are having conform to whatever DEC uses...that would be DG, SUN, APOLLO, etc...and the MainFrames, IBM, AMDAHL, DEC again... Now, TCP/IP started at Standford in the early 70s with Vint Cerf, as a DoD project...now, how did TCP/IP get onto 802.3 the most? (it also has roots in 802.5) simple, The Gov't uses lots of MFrames and DECs and other equipmt...well here comes DEC, with their proprietary stuff, but the Gov't wants inter-operab- ility, aka TCP/IP which is what the Gov't has been working on...so DEC says, sure we can do that, IBM says sure we can do that (most notably under the VM system), and so a new standard was born!...Since IBM was involved they have now cascaded TCP/IP interoperability to 802.5 and are working on implementatns there too...and, recall TCP/IP is hardware independent.. thank you for your attendence...do you see what I mean? <>