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All wifi is a giant collision domain. Also, each segment of a wired network is a collision domain. What you are describing is more in line with MPLS or Infinib

All wifi is a giant collision domain. Also, each segment of a wired network is a collision domain. What you are describing is more in line with MPLS or Infiniband. I agree with you frustration. I prefer to design networks that start routing right at the access port or even using an agent, virtual network port, or VPN endpoint at the client or application (like QUIC), but that is very expensive from a resource standpoint. IPv6 is also another way to get closer to what you are describing. In my perfect world, we'd move to something like a mashup of MPLS and HIP (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Host_Identity_Protocol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Host_Identity_Protocol) If want to study something more "routed" and more point to point, look at private mobile networks (5G). What we don't want is more layers of abstraction... that's making every slow, brittle and impossible to troubleshoot.

fsckboy 2y ago
>Also, each segment of a wired network is a collision domain huh? where "segment" means where you are using a hub not a switch? cuz that was a long time ago
- kbolino 2y ago
  If the links are operating at only 10Mbps or 100Mbps, it's possible for them to operate in half-duplex mode (e.g., if the cables don't have all 8 pins wired properly), even with a switch. In this mode, there's a collision domain between the host device and the switch.
adrian_b 2y ago
WiFi uses a different protocol than classic Ethernet, with "Collision Avoidance" instead of "Collision Detection". The reason is that one WiFi station cannot know what sources of radio interference exist at the other stations of a network, because it may hear only a part of them at its location. So all remnants of the original Ethernet could be removed from wired Ethernet, which does not need layer 2 protocols, while keeping adequate layer 2 protocols for wireless communications. Besides WiFi, there are also long-range point-to-point wireless links, where directive antennas are used at both ends. For these, there is no difference from wired links, so they do not need layer 2 protocols.

fsckboy 2y ago

>Also, each segment of a wired network is a collision domain huh? where "segment" means where you are using a hub not a switch? cuz that was a long time ago

kbolino 2y ago
If the links are operating at only 10Mbps or 100Mbps, it's possible for them to operate in half-duplex mode (e.g., if the cables don't have all 8 pins wired properly), even with a switch. In this mode, there's a collision domain between the host device and the switch.

adrian_b 2y ago

WiFi uses a different protocol than classic Ethernet, with "Collision Avoidance" instead of "Collision Detection". The reason is that one WiFi station cannot know what sources of radio interference exist at the other stations of a network, because it may hear only a part of them at its location. So all remnants of the original Ethernet could be removed from wired Ethernet, which does not need layer 2 protocols, while keeping adequate layer 2 protocols for wireless communications. Besides WiFi, there are also long-range point-to-point wireless links, where directive antennas are used at both ends. For these, there is no difference from wired links, so they do not need layer 2 protocols.