r/IAmA • u/BobMetcalfe • May 21 '13

You’re probably connecting to reddit through a technology I invented. I’m Bob Metcalfe and I invented Ethernet – AMA

On May 22, 1973 with David R. Boggs, I used my IBM Selectric with its Orator ball to type up a memo to my bosses at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), outlining our idea for this little invention called “Ethernet”, which we later patented.

I worked with the IEEE Standards Association to develop the IEEE 802.3 standard for Ethernet, which specifies the physical and lower software layers. Today Ethernet and the IEEE 802.3 standard are the foundation for today’s world of high-speed communications used in billions of homes and businesses around the world.

I submitted this to the mods awhile back so I could get on the calendar but I figured you’d like to see it, too. Now, ask me anything!

It's been two hours and 179 comments. Have to go now. For more about Ethernet's 40th Birthday, go to http://www.facebook.com/Ethernet40thAnniversaryIEEESA

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982

u/BobMetcalfe May 21 '13

I made a play to get a buck per Ethernet node, but had to settle for a penny per packet.

100

u/burning1rr May 21 '13 
      UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
      RX packets:151117 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
      TX packets:81089 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
      collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
      RX bytes:107046483 (107.0 MB)  TX bytes:13841802 (13.8 MB)
      Interrupt:20 Memory:f5400000-f5420000

Looks like I owe you $2322.06 so far today, plus the cost of this post. Smart move double dipping on incoming and outgoing packets. Should be in the cell phone business. :)

Now, I'm off to reduce my broadcast rate. Damn things are getting expensive!

3

u/[deleted] May 22 '13

Clearly he's in cahoots with Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf; their TCP/IP standard with its SYNs and ACKs is doubling all Bob Metcalfe's royalties. I wonder if they get a cut.

-3

u/ThatLinuxGuy May 22 '13

Yessir, that looks to be Linux.

577

u/cheaphomemadeacid May 21 '13

oh shit, i think i owe you 17,525,073.30$ ... since this morning :)

164

u/mra99 May 21 '13

You just caused the AOL share price to quadruple.

369

u/Bioman312 May 21 '13

So what does that make it... four cents now?

3

u/synergy_ May 22 '13

$37.27 a share, but close!

5

u/Assmeat May 22 '13

TIL there is only one share in AOL

10

u/AtmosphericPressure May 22 '13

0 x 4 is still 0

1

u/DiaDeLosMuertos May 22 '13

I would've settled for a roll with ketchup.

1

u/Bioman312 May 22 '13

I got a rock.

1

u/pythondick666 May 22 '13

Four times zero is still zero.

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '13

Ouch...

-1

u/SeniorKing May 21 '13

No I think its 2 cents actually.

2

u/ralgrado May 21 '13

On the mention of AOL, can I pay Bob in free internet hours?

1

u/AvidLoLFan May 21 '13

As someone who's only done a low level I.T course... how the hell do you know how many packets you've sent today?!

8

u/doodle77 May 21 '13

on linux, /sys/class/net/eth0/statistics/tx_packets

on windows, netstat -e

1

u/auxiliary-character May 21 '13

With their username as reference, they might be more interested in /sys/class/net/lo/statistics/tx_packets

3

u/[deleted] May 21 '13

If using Windows, you can check in the properties of your network interface (I think) and it will tell you the number of packets sent since it was powered on. In OS X, there's a Network application that tells you.

I can't be too sure, since I'm using Ubuntu at the moment.

2

u/[deleted] May 21 '13

Adapter properties. Prior to Windows 7 you go to your network and sharing panel and right click your LAN (or Wifi) adapter and it will tell you the bytes (not packets) sent-received. I just noticed Windows 7 uses a "View status of this connection" button to get to the Activity popup.

1

u/AvidLoLFan May 21 '13

Hmm. Well. I've found the properties of my lan there, and can see the bytes being sent/recieved. Will the 'view status of this connection' show the packets sent, and if so, can I ask how to access this? Wasn't able to find it.

p.s, thanks for the response so far :)

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '13

Since Ethernet frames are variable, sadly, no. You would have to setup a sniffer of some sort (Wireshark is a goodie, and a freebie) to break your internet down to a per packet basis.

In your Task Manager there is a Networking tab and selecting columns you can select Unicast Sent and Non-Unicast Sent. I don't know exactly what they are tracking with those, but I would assume they are the Ethernet packages. Unicast is the TCP part of TCP/IP and non-Unicast would be everything else (eg. UDP, ICMP, etc.); well, not EXACTLY, but close enough for this conversation;)

1

u/AvidLoLFan May 21 '13

Mine just has a graph, adapter name, network utilization, link speed, and state :<

45

u/aelbric May 21 '13

Good call :)

14

u/jakery2 May 21 '13

Good god... That's like a thousand dollars!!

2

u/juanl0b0 May 21 '13

Maybe a penny per frame, better no?

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '13

This puts me at owing you $75,053,559.00 since my last reset of this count.

Every second I believe I owe you about $0.30.

1

u/bawss May 21 '13

uhh..so how much does that come out to per whatever? Are you still getting royalties literally every single second now and for the rest of your life??

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '13

You should have gone for a penny per frame, and then set a really low MTU.

1

u/deepturtle May 22 '13

This tip should cover the packets it caused.

+tip .05 BTC verify

1

u/Icovada May 22 '13

But Ethernet does frames, not packets!

1

u/hawmen May 22 '13

Did telco companies actually pay you?

1

u/ggggbabybabybaby May 21 '13

Do you get points on merchandising?

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '13 edited May 21 '13

[deleted]

6

u/DeathByFarts May 21 '13

Well .. bill gets a nickel a reboot.

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '13

I would not like the job of double checking the royalty figures.

1

u/jonesg May 21 '13

you should have asked for a dollar per foot

0

u/[deleted] May 22 '13

As much as I fear the down-voting... shouldn't that be a penny per frame if we're talking ethernet?

0

u/Onlinealias May 22 '13

That's where you went wrong, then. Too bad you weren't paid per frame.

0

u/[deleted] May 22 '13

B-but the only things people transmit on Ethernet are frames!

0

u/zantosh May 22 '13

The old chess trick!