3Com manual Summary of TR-in-FE Module Features

1-12CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW

■Manageability

■ Simple to configure and administer

TR-in-FE allows both Token Ring and Ethernet to share the same Fast Ethernet physical wiring infra- structure and server base without impacting network performance. TR-in-FE accomplishes this by introduc- ing routing or traditional bridging via Source-Route to Transparent translation.

Fast Ethernet is relatively well understood and easy to configure. Additionally, many tools exist to manage and administer Fast Ethernet due to its wide accep- tance in the industry and its similarity to Ethernet.

TR-in-FE benefits MIS managers most interested in:

■Preserving existing investments in TR infrastructure

■Seeking low-cost, high-speed connectivity

■Combining Ethernet and Token Ring for common server access

Fast Ethernet is less expensive than other options, such as FDDI and ATM. Using FE, the price per port for server attachment is 20% that of ATM and FDDI.

Token Ring switching allows the install base of TR equipment and its configuration to remain intact and operational while allowing for an upgrade to higher performance through microsegmentation and inter- faces to higher speed technologies. TR-in-FE repre- sents one option for integrating Fast Ethernet into the TR switched environment.

Summary of TR-in-FE Module Features

The following lists summarize the features of the SuperStack II Switch 2000 TR TR-in-FE module.

■Full duplex operation

■Automatic configuration through PCI registration

■RJ-45 connector for 100 Mbps data rates over cat- egory 5 UTP wiring up to 100 meters

■LEDs to indicate link integrity and link activity

■Promiscuous mode support for NDIS 3.0 and ODI32 drivers

■Compliance with FCC Class B, CISPR B, and CE

■Software configurable

■DOS diagnostics and configuration utility

■Support for frame sizes up to 3992 bytes