IPG - Inter Packed Gap - why defined to 96 bits?

[dmitry...@gmail.com]

Hi All,
Why IPG is defined as 96 bits? Does anybody know?
Are IPG and IFG (Inter Frame Gap) the same?
Thank you!

[Rick Jones]

dmitry...@gmail.com wrote:
> Why IPG is defined as 96 bits? Does anybody know?
> Are IPG and IFG (Inter Frame Gap) the same?

I suspect that Inter-Packet Gap and Inter-Frame Gap are one and the
same. Packet is a "generic" term for all manner of "packets." Frame
is the specific term used to describe a packet at the Ethernet (and
perhaps similar) layer. Datagram is the IPv4 and IPv6 specific name
for a "packet" there, and "segment" is the name in the context of TCP.

So, you can have a TCP segment carried in an IP datagram which itself
is carried in an Ethernet frame, and it is all one big, happy "packet."

As for why 96 bits, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interframe_gap
doesn't get terribly specific, but the one reason it gives - to allow
a device to get ready to receive the next frame - is something that I
seem to recall being at least part of the reason. I suspect the
original Ethernet specification may go into the details.

rick jones
--
I don't interest myself in "why." I think more often in terms of
"when," sometimes "where;" always "how much." - Joubert
these opinions are mine, all mine; HP might not want them anyway... :)
feel free to post, OR email to rick.jones2 in hp.com but NOT BOTH...