How many repeaters are maximum possible in an ethernet ?

In traditional Ethernet (10BASE5 and 10BASE2), the maximum number of repeaters allowed in a path between any two stations was 4, creating 5 segments. This is known as the 5-4-3 rule: 5 segments, 4 repeaters, with only 3 segments populated. This rule was designed to limit collision domain timing and ensure proper collision detection. The 4 repeaters (or 5 segments) limit was a fundamental constraint in classic coaxial Ethernet networks.