 allows almost infinite endpoints, is the goal. With this in mind, we will examine how one might condition an Ethernet LAN for interactive multimedia traffic. STREAMING MEDIA OVER ETHERNET Ethernet was developed in the early 1970s to support laser printing. The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), in their 802.3 specification, standardized the technologies that underlie Ethernet. Ethernet is founded on the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) media access control (MAC) protocol. In CSMA/CD networks, nodes broadcast frames of data to all other stations on the same segment. Because the segment is shared, 802.3 LANs employ a listen- before-transmitting scheme. If a sending device hears no oncoming traffic, it transmits its data, which has been addressed to assure that only the intended node listens and responds to it. The system works smoothly unless two stations broadcast at precisely the same time (which is common when subnets support numerous devices). In that case, a collision occurs. Both devices, after hearing a jamming signal warn of the collision, must back off and wait a random period before retransmitting. Contention and collisions limit throughput on Ethernet and preclude any guarantee of timely signal delivery. Therefore, CSMA/CD is quite inadequate in real-time, interactive multimedia applications. Since its invention, Ethernet deployment methods have continuously evolved. Ethernet began as 10Base-5. The name was descriptive: 10 refers to 10 Mbps, Base pertains to Ethernet's baseband method of transmission and the 5 reflects a network diameter of 500 meters. As time went on, 10Base-5 became known as Thick Wire Ethernet because the coaxial cable it required measured about one-half inch in diameter. After 10Base-5 came 10Base-2 that used coaxial cable about half as thick as Video Communications: The Whole Picture 10Base-5. Thin-net cable, as it was also called, offered easier manipulation, and cleaner attachment to a workstation. A signal can be pushed a lon