2022 · Networks & the Web
Ethernet made local networking a shared, practical technology.
Visual guide
Link devices on a local network.
Address data for delivery.
Make equipment work together.
Collision handling describes classic shared Ethernet; modern switched full-duplex Ethernet works differently.
01 · The idea
Robert Metcalfe invented Ethernet and advanced its standardisation and commercial use. The original system let computers communicate over a shared local medium, coordinating access and handling collisions. Ethernet then evolved into a broad family of networking technologies with very different physical and switching arrangements.
Common local-network standards helped connect computers, printers and other resources across organisations.
02 · The people
Bob Metcalfe co-invented Ethernet at Xerox PARC with David Boggs, developing a practical way for nearby computers to share a communication medium. He later founded 3Com and helped turn Ethernet from a laboratory system into an industry standard and commercial technology. His career also includes teaching, venture capital, and research. The award recognizes invention, standardization, and commercialization together, reflecting how networking technologies reach broad use.
Read the biography ↗03 · Read further
Original explanations based on the official award record. The subject label is an editorial navigation aid.
URLs, HTTP and HTML made information across the Internet browsable.
The story
TCP/IP let independently designed networks communicate through common rules.
The story