About Ethernet

Had to verify things.
I have as yet, not connected my Scope to a network line, and was not sure what was there.

Like nearly ALL forms of data communication, ethernet signals are modulated analog signals.

Here is a link to an ethernet signal tester that has images of both the raw signal, and the demodulated data.
http://tinyurl.com/6iow

Even the laser pickup on a CD drive is an analog signal.

Unless you are working on a data buss style transmission system, such as a parallel port, you are working in an analog world.

Chas

Yes, it's digital. And yes, it's analog. To understand this you should read a little and try to understand OSI Networking Model. It has 7 levels.

Saying in simply words, it depends on what part of Ethernet you are talking about. Actually Ethernetspecification spans 2 layers of OSI model. At Data Link Level it's digital. This level describes addressing, flow control, frame format, physical media accessing protocol, etc. But when you talk about Physical Layer, it's analog. It means that "digits" from previous level are coded to electrical impulses, which are transfered through physical media (for example wires). Similar things with another media - for example, same part of Ethernet specification will describe Ehternet frame, addressing, but on Fiber Optic media physically information will be converted to optical impulses. In Wireless, same digital bits will be converted into radio signals (analog). And so on.

Good luck.