What is the purpose of the backoff on ethernet networks?

Please see below as the answer is self-explanatory.

Explanation:

In the original Ethernet standard, IEEE 802.3, the method used to deliver packets within a Ethernet network, is called CSMA/CD, and the acronym includes all the Ethernet features in brief.

Let's explain the different parts of the acronym.

CSMA= Carrier Sense Multiple Access.

This means that when any computer in the network (with no privileges for nobody) has a packet to transmit, it first "listen"if the network is idle. If it is the found condition, deliver the packet, and wait for an acknowledgement.

If past a given time, the ACK is not received, assumes that the packet was lost, due to a collision with another packet coming from another computer (this can happen because the packets don't travel instantaneously from one host to another, so one machine could have started to transmit before the another one could sense this fact).

This process is described by the other part of the acronym:

CD = Collission Detection

In order to avoid this type of problem, before trying to resend the packet, it waits some time, which is called "backoff".

This time increases exponentially each time that it is not possible to send a packet successfully, in order to try to find a moment in which finally the network be clear.

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