When you have a number of people working on their networked PCs, it's inevitable that several are going to want to do the same thing on the network at the same time, such as print a file or use a fax modem. These methods work in conjunction with both the network and client operating systems and are installed as part of the network interface card. Small Business Server supports an architecture called Ethernet. Ethernet is perhaps the most popular LAN access method. Then, if two clients try to transmit information at the same time, they are alerted to the conflict, stop transmitting, and wait for a predetermined period of time before they try again.
Ethernet has some real advantages.
Forty percent of LANs use it, and the percentage is even higher for small businesses. Ethernet also has a wide range of interface speeds and formats, and it doesn't cost much.