What is a Media Access Method ?

A media access method refers to the manner in which a computer gains and controls access to the network�s physical medium (e.g., cable). Common media access methods include the following:

• CSMA/CD
• CSMA/CA
• Token Passing
• Demand Priority

One of the primary concerns with media access is how to prevent packets from colliding when two or more computers try to transmit simultaneously. Each of the methods listed above takes a different approach to this problem.