Which access method is defined for Ethernet within its standard?

Ethernet employs the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) as its access method, which is a fundamental part of the standard that defines how devices on a local area network (LAN) communicate over the medium. In CSMA/CD, a device first listens to the network to determine if it is free before transmitting its data. If it senses that the network is in use, it will wait until it detects that the channel is clear.

Collision detection means that if two devices transmit at the same time, they will both detect the collision and stop transmitting. They then wait for a random period before attempting to retransmit, which reduces the chances of subsequent collisions. This protocol is essential for managing the shared communication medium in a way that allows multiple devices to coexist on the same network without excessive interference.

In contrast, token passing involves a token that circulates around the network, granting permission to a device to transmit data, which is not used in Ethernet networks. Polling refers to a method where a central controller checks each device for data transmission, which is also not part of how Ethernet operates. Application-level access methods deal with how applications interact with the network at a higher level and do not apply to the physical access control methods defined in