SerialPort

Early Release! Expanding The Ether: The invention of the DEC LAN Bridge

Added 2024-08-22 18:22:17 +0000 UTC

We're back with another documentary that's been in the works for months. We've had some ups and downs along the way with interviews being cancelled and other delays, but it's finally ready for a release.

We look at early Ethernet and how one device, the DEC LAN Bridge 100, ended up changing networking and laying the groundwork for Ethernet's future success. This was the world's first bridge, and with that came the invention of store-and-forward switching. It's hard to believe that basically the entire functionality of this massive 21lb device is now in the footprint of a small integrated circuit.

There's also an interesting look into exactly how 10BASE5 was installed back in the day, and we're guided through the tapping and termination process by John Reed. John was kind enough to spend over an hour with us going over how all of this worked. Hope everyone enjoys the video as much as we enjoyed making it, and thanks again for all the continued support!