A family of computer networking technologies commonly used in local area networks (LANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), and wide area networks (WANs). Developed originally by Xerox in the 1970s and standardized by IEEE as IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has evolved to include various data rate standards and now serves as the backbone for most wired data networks. It uses both physical cables and switches to enable devices to communicate, offering a reliable and standardized way for computers, printers, and other network devices to exchange data packets.