Token Ring
Media
It is assumed by this document that the selection of a networking media for the facility has already been completed before the hardware is examined. The media decision in the hardware selection stage of network design is one of ensuring that the selected device or devices will support the cabling media that is either planned or in place.
In some cases, a small number of station connections will have to be made using a less common media such as fiber optic cable. For these situations, Cabletron Systems produces a wide variety of media converters, which act as transceivers, allowing a Token Ring link to be made through two dissimilar media.
Cabletron Systems also provides Token Ring Port Interface Module, or TPIM slots on all of its standalone and stackable Token Ring networking devices. These TPIM slots can be used as
Port Count
The provision of a sufficient number of ports is perhaps the easiest and most straightforward portion of the Token Ring network design process. As all of the Cabletron Systems standalone Token Ring networking products are also stackable devices, any time a particular location requires more ports than can be supplied by one device, an STH stackable Token Ring hub can be placed atop it. This new device will provide the same management capabilities as the base device, and a greater number of available ports.
This stacking process can be continued until either the maximum number of stations on the ring has been reached, or until a single stack incorporates one stackable base device and four stackable hubs. The limitations of the stackable system will not allow more than five devices to be associated with one another in a single stack.
Should the port count supplied by a
Ring Extensions
Ring extension allows for the growth of a Token Ring network beyond the limitations of a single stack. The use of
NOTE |
RI/RO ports do not provide segmentation functions or create a new Token Ring network.
Token Ring Workgroup Design |
