IEEE8023

IEEE 802.3, commonly known as Ethernet, is a family of standards published by the IEEE Standards Association that specify the physical layer and media access control for wired local area networks. The 802.3 standards define frame formats, signaling, and the methods by which devices access the shared medium across a range of transmission speeds and media, including copper twisted pair and fiber optics. The standards are developed by the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group and are widely adopted as the basis for LANs worldwide.

The 802.3 family began with a 10 Mbps Ethernet standard published in the early 1980s. Subsequent amendments added Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps), Gigabit Ethernet (1 Gbps), 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and higher-speed variants, as well as multiple media types. Commonly cited examples include 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T, and 10GBASE-T, among others. Early Ethernet used a shared medium and CSMA/CD access; modern Ethernet commonly runs in full-duplex switched networks, in which CSMA/CD is not employed.

In addition to data transmission, 802.3 amendments define power delivery over Ethernet, known as Power over Ethernet (PoE), including PoE (802.3af), PoE+ (802.3at), and PoE++ (802.3bt). The standard also specifies frame formats and compatibility considerations with VLAN tagging and other Ethernet technologies.

IEEE 802.3 is a living standard that continues to evolve to support higher speeds, new media, and expanded functionality, while remaining compatible with existing Ethernet deployments. It is administered by the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group under the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee.