Which statement best describes Ethernet access methods?

Which statement best describes Ethernet access methods?

• A. Time Division Multiple Access
• B. Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection
• C. Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance
• D. Frequency Division Multiple Access

Answer: (B)

Ethernet’s access method centers on devices sharing a single communication medium and coordinating when they can transmit. Each node listens to the network (carrier sensing) before sending. If the channel is free, it starts transmitting; if another node is transmitting at the same time, a collision occurs. When a collision is detected, the transmitting devices stop, wait for a random period, and then attempt to retransmit. This approach is Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection. This method is what keeps a traditional Ethernet network efficiently coordinated when many devices contend for the same wire. The other concepts listed describe different access strategies not used by Ethernet: fixed time-slot allocation (time division), separate frequency channels (frequency division), or a wireless-specific method that avoids collisions rather than detecting them (collision avoidance). In Ethernet, detecting and recovering from collisions is the core idea.

Ethernet’s access method centers on devices sharing a single communication medium and coordinating when they can transmit. Each node listens to the network (carrier sensing) before sending. If the channel is free, it starts transmitting; if another node is transmitting at the same time, a collision occurs. When a collision is detected, the transmitting devices stop, wait for a random period, and then attempt to retransmit. This approach is Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection.

This method is what keeps a traditional Ethernet network efficiently coordinated when many devices contend for the same wire. The other concepts listed describe different access strategies not used by Ethernet: fixed time-slot allocation (time division), separate frequency channels (frequency division), or a wireless-specific method that avoids collisions rather than detecting them (collision avoidance). In Ethernet, detecting and recovering from collisions is the core idea.