Description

This article is from the Token Ring FAQ, by James Messer James@NetworkUptime.com with numerous contributions by others.

4.6] What is the maximum distance between a MAU and a token ring station, or between two token ring stations?

In token ring networking, distance requirements are different from
vendor to vendor. In general terms, the recommended standard
distance between stations for Type 1 cabling is approximately 300
meters, and the recommended standard distance between stations for
UTP cabling is about 150 meters.

Token ring distances are computed as the distance between repeaters.
IN a token ring network, each Network Interface Card (NIC) is a
repeater. Therefore, the length between stations cannot exceed the
cable lengths listed above.

Some manufacturers use 'active' MAUs which can regenerate the token
ring signal and act as a repeater. In these cases, the distances
between the token ring workstations and the MAUs can be much larger
than many 'passive' MAUs. Many active MAUs have other network
management features such as SNMP capabilities and auto-station
removal for stations inserting at the incorrect speeds.

Continue to:

• prev: 4.5] Can two token ring stations be directly attached?
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• next: 4.7] What is the formula for computing adjusted ring length (ARL)? (Token Ring Physical Layer)