Ngokuthuthuka kwemboni yezokuxhumana kanye nokwaziswa komnotho wezwe, i ukushintshwa kwenethiwekhi yendandatho ephethweimakethe ikhule kancane kancane. Ibiza kakhulu, iguquguquka kakhulu, ilula futhi kulula ukuyisebenzisa. Ubuchwepheshe be-Ethernet buye baba ubuchwepheshe obubalulekile benethiwekhi ye-LAN namuhla, futhi ukushintshwa kwendandatho okuphethwe sekuphenduke ukushintshwa okudumile.
Ukushintsha kusebenze kusendlalelo sesi-2 (isendlalelo sesixhumanisi sedatha) semodeli yesithenjwa ye-OSI. Lapho isixhumi esibonakalayo ngasinye sixhunywe ngempumelelo, i-CPU engaphakathi kweswishi izokwakha ithebula le-MAC ngokwenza imephu ikheli le-MAC kusixhumi esibonakalayo. Ekuxhumaneni okuzayo, amaphakethe enzelwe lelo kheli le-MAC azothunyelwa kuphela kusixhumi esibonakalayo esihambisanayo, hhayi zonke izixhumi ezibonakalayo. Ngakho-ke, ukushintshwa kwenethiwekhi yendandatho ephethwe kungasetshenziswa ukuhlukanisa ukusakazwa kwesendlalelo sesixhumanisi sedatha, okungukuthi, isizinda sokushayisana; kodwa ayikwazi ukuhlukanisa ukusakazwa kwesendlalelo senethiwekhi, okungukuthi, isizinda sokusakaza.
Amaswishi okushintshwa kwendandatho aphethwe anebhasi elihlehlayo lomkhawulokudonsa ophezulu kakhulu kanye ne-matrix yokushintsha yangaphakathi. Zonke izixhumi ezibonakalayo zeswishi zixhunywe kuleli bhasi elibuyela emuva. Ngemuva kokuthi isifunda sokulawula sithole iphakethe, isixhumi esibonakalayo sokucubungula sizobheka ithebula lokuqhathanisa lekheli enkumbulweni ukuze kunqunywe i-NIC (ikhadi lenethiwekhi) ye-MAC eqondiwe (ikheli lehadiwe lekhadi lenethiwekhi). Kukusiphi isixhumi esibonakalayo iphakethe lidluliselwa ngokushesha kusixhumi esibonakalayo lapho kuyiwa khona ngendwangu yangaphakathi yokushintsha. Uma i-MAC okuyiwa kuyo ingekho, yisakaze kuzo zonke izixhumi ezibonakalayo. Ngemva kokuba iswishi ithole impendulo evela kusixhumi esibonakalayo, "izofunda" ikheli elisha le-MAC futhi ilingeze kuthebula lekheli langaphakathi le-MAC. Ukusebenzisa amaswishi nakho “kungahlukanisa” inethiwekhi. Ngokuqhathanisa amathebula ekheli lasesizindeni se-inthanethi, ukushintshwa kwezindandatho ezilawulwayo kuvumela ithrafikhi yenethiwekhi edingekayo kuphela ukuthi idlule ekushintsheni. Ukushintsha ukuhlunga nokudlulisa kunganciphisa ngempumelelo isizinda sokushayisana.