Which statement best describes CSMA/CD?

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Multiple Choice

Which statement best describes CSMA/CD?

CSMA/CD governs how devices share a common network medium. In a traditional Ethernet network with a shared cable, all devices listen before transmitting (carrier sensing). If the channel is free, a device can start sending. If another device begins transmitting at the same time, a collision happens, and all transmitting devices detect it (collision detection). They then stop, wait for a random backoff, and try again. This mechanism directly describes when transmissions occur on the shared medium and how collisions are handled. It isn’t about routing frames across networks, translating IP to MAC addresses, or dividing the network into VLANs. Modern switches reduce the relevance of CSMA/CD by providing separate collision domains, but the basic idea remains: listen before transmitting and detect collisions to coordinate access.

CSMA/CD governs how devices share a common network medium. In a traditional Ethernet network with a shared cable, all devices listen before transmitting (carrier sensing). If the channel is free, a device can start sending. If another device begins transmitting at the same time, a collision happens, and all transmitting devices detect it (collision detection). They then stop, wait for a random backoff, and try again. This mechanism directly describes when transmissions occur on the shared medium and how collisions are handled. It isn’t about routing frames across networks, translating IP to MAC addresses, or dividing the network into VLANs. Modern switches reduce the relevance of CSMA/CD by providing separate collision domains, but the basic idea remains: listen before transmitting and detect collisions to coordinate access.

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