Physical Layer

The physical stuff that actually connects and forms a layer.

Links

• The Secret Life of the 500+ Cables that Run the Internet | CNET
  • A simple explanation of subsea cables. How they work, how they are installed, geopolitical complications, etc.
• The invisible seafaring industry that keeps the internet afloat | The Verge
  • Long form writing of the ~20 ships that maintains subsea cables
  • How the ships operates, stories of incidents and the aging problem of ships and people
  • If done correctly, despite being vital to the internet, their work will continue to be unnoticed

Ethernet

• YouTube: Ethernet (50th Birthday) | Computerphile
  • The original Ethernet algorithm. Designed around a shared bus, using exponential backoff for media access control, etc.
• Happy 50th Birthday, Ethernet (HN)
  • The innovation and evolution of Ethernet over 50 years
  • No clock, any data size, carrier sense multiple access/collision detection (CSMA/CD), unique MAC, and other evolutions