2-1

Chapter 2

Review of Networking
This chapter discusses the deļ¬ning characteristics of three major Local Area Network (LAN)
technologies.
Before discussing the selection of networking hardware for workgroup design, an
understanding of the major standardized networking technologies available for
these designs is necessary. This chapter provides a brief review of the three major
networking technologies that are to be treated in this document: Ethernet, Fast
Ethernet, and Token Ring.
This section is intended to be a review of the most important aspects of these
technologies, and is not expected to stand alone. For more detailed information,
Cabletron Systems publishes a series of other documents that treat these
technologies in greater detail. For introductory information, the Cabletron Systems
Networking Guide - MMAC-FNB Solutions manual provides extensive training
information in the basics of these technologies. Further technical detail is
available in the Cabletron Systems Technology Overview Guides. A list of associated
publications, including these titles, is supplied in the Related Documentation
section of Chapter 1.