Cabletron Systems bridges, switches manual Review of Networking

Review of Networking

Token Ring networks can use a variety of physical cabling, including Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP), Shielded Twisted Pair (STP), or fiber optic cabling. The characteristics of the various cables can directly impact the operational limitations of a Token Ring network which uses a particular media.

•Lobe Cable Lengths for 4 Mbps Token Rings: The operation of a 4 Mbps Token Ring network imposes some relatively generous limitations on the maximum length of any station cable (also called a lobe cable) connected to an active port in the network as shown in the following list:

-IBM Types 1, 2 STP: 300 m

-IBM Types 6, 9 STP: 200 m

-Category 5 UTP: 250 m

-Categories 3, 4 UTP: 200 m

-Multimode Fiber Optics: 2000 m

-Single Mode Fiber Optics: 2000 m

•Lobe Cable Lengths for 16 Mbps Token Rings: 16 Mbps Token Ring networks also impose limitations on the maximum length of any media connected to an active port as shown in the following list:

-IBM Types 1, 2 STP: 150 m

-IBM Types 6, 9 STP: 100 m

-Category 5 UTP: 120 m

-Categories 3, 4 UTP: 100 m

-Multimode Fiber Optics: 2000 m

-Single Mode Fiber Optics: 2000 m

•RI/RO Cable Lengths for 4 Mbps Token Rings: 4 Mbps Token Ring networks also require that Ring-In/Ring-Out (RI/RO) connections be no longer than a certain amount. This amount is dependent upon the media being used for the RI/RO connection as shown in the following list:

-IBM Types 1, 2 STP: 770 m

-Category 5 UTP: 250 m

-Categories 3, 4 UTP: 200 m

-Multimode Fiber Optics: 2000 m

-Single Mode Fiber Optics: 2000 m

•RI/RO Cable Lengths for 16 Mbps Token Rings: 16 Mbps Token Ring networks also require that Ring-In/Ring-Out (RI/RO) connections not exceed the lengths given below:

-IBM Types 1, 2 STP: 346 m

-Category 5 UTP: 120 m

-Categories 3, 4 UTP: 100 m

-Multimode Fiber Optics: 2000 m

-Single Mode Fiber Optics: 2000 m

Token Ring 2-7