Medium Access Control Protocols
Overview
- Medium Access Control (MAC) Protocols determine how a workstation gains access to the LAN medium for data transmission.
- These protocols ensure that workstations can “take turns” in sending data, preventing collisions and managing network traffic.
Categories of MAC Protocols
- Contention-Based Protocols allow multiple workstations to compete for access to the medium.
- Statistical in nature, these protocols use random access methods to decide which workstation gets to transmit data at a given time.
- Examples include Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) used in Ethernet.
- Round-Robin Protocol provide a deterministic method for accessing the medium.
- Workstations are given a fixed time slot or order in which they can transmit data, ensuring that each workstation gets a turn.
- This method helps in managing network traffic in a more predictable manner compared to contention-based protocols.