This chapter addresses both Token Ring and IEEE 802.5. Tok en Ring and IEEE 802.5 networks are basically compatible, although the specifications differ in minor ways. In contrast, IEEE 802.5 does not specify a topology, although virtually all IEEE 802.5 implementations are based on a star. Figure 9-1 summarizes IBM Token Ring network and IEEE 802.5 specifications. Although dissimilar in some respects, IBM's Token Ring Network and IEEE 802.5 are generally compatible.
Patch cables connect MSAUs to adjacent MSAUs, while lobe cables connect MSAUs to stations.
MSAUs include bypass relays for removing stations from the ring. MSAUs can be wired together to form one large ring in an IBM Token Ring network. Token-passing networks move a small frame, called a token , around the network. Possession of the token grants the right to transmit. If a node receiving the token has no information to send, it passes the token to the next end station.