Metcalfe's Ethernet Memo

Robert Metcalfe drafts his seminal memo defining Ethernet, laying out the core principles of CSMA/CD and packet switching for local area networks.

Significance

This memo served as the foundational blueprint for Ethernet and, by extension, the design of Network Interface Cards, establishing the theoretical and practical basis for linking computers locally.

Key facts

Date
1973-05-22
Type
invention
Location
Xerox PARC, Palo Alto, California, USA