Handout #7

University of Technology, Jamaica School of Computing & Information Technology INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER NETWORKS Handout #7 Token Ring and Ethernet Objectives:
At the end of this lecture, students should be able to: Discuss the background of Token Ring Examine Token Ring mechanism, topology and ring management Compare the performance of the access methods Match access methods with the basic topologies Discuss Ethernet Wiring Standards

Token Ring

is a Local Area Network (LAN) protocol. protocol was first developed by IBM. standardized in IEEE 802.5 that was published in 1985. a first and second layer protocol in the OSI model. initially capable of 4Mbs data transmission rate; the transmission rate was improved later to 16Mbs. operates on many cable types protocol deals with the problem of collision, which is defined as a state were two stations transmit at the same time. In order to avoid the situation of collision there was a need to control the access to the network. This kind of control is possible by the use of a control (permission) called token. The token is passed from one station to another according to a set of rules. consists of ring stations and transmission medium. Data travels sequentially from station to station. Only the station in possession of the token is allowed to transmit data. Each station repeats the data, checks for errors, and copies the data if appropriate. When the data is returned to the sending station, it removes it from the ring (see also Token Ring Mechanism). protocol supports priorities in transmission. It is implemented setting the priority bits in the Token Ring Frame.

Ring benefits: High reliability, the Ring can continue normal operation despite any single fault. Bypassing inactive stations. Effective use, 95% in Token Ring only whilst 30-40% in Ethernet. Excellent traffic handling (17.8 kb in TR, only 15kb in Ethernet.). Large maximum frame length. High bandwidth efficiency. 70% in Token Ring, 30% in Ethernet. Many media choices: UTP STP coax fiber. Supports transmission priority.

Token Ring Mechanism

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Handout #7 Whenever a station wishes to send a frame, it first waits for the token. As soon as it receives the token, it initiates transmission of the frame, which includes the destination station address at its head. The frame is repeated (received and retransmitted) by each station on the network, until it circulates back to the source station, where it is removed. In addition to repeating the frame, the destination station retains a copy of the frame and indicates that by setting the response bits (Copy Bit + Address Recognition Bit, see also Frame Formats) at the tail of the frame. A station releases the token in one of the two ways depending on the ring rate. With slower rings (4Mbps), the token is released only after the response bits have been received. With higher speed rings (16Mbps), it is released after transmitting the last bit of the frame. This is known as early (token) release (ETR). A typical token link mechanism is illustrated below.

Early Token Release mechanism (ETR): A station that wants to transmit waits for a free token. The station transmits a frame and then releases a new token. The next station that wants to transmit waits for a free token and transmits a frame and then releases a new token into the ring and so on .... The ETR mechanism enables multiple frames on the ring, and therefore the ring is more effective. When working in a large ring it improves performance, enabling a mixture of stations with ETR and stations without ETR. Topology Media Token ring is a logical ring topology, but can be physically implemented as ring , bus or star

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Handout #7 Token Ring uses two counter-rotating rings like FDDI. One ring for main path and another for backup, this way it can bypass faulty parts. It enables continued operation with any single fault. Token Ring can be operated on the following medias: Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP). Shielded Twisted Pair (STP): Allowing a Max. of 260 stations at 16Mps rings. Coaxial cable (Thin\Thick\Broadband). Fiber Optics.

Ring Management The mechanism of the network operation is considered to be the mechanism in the steady state, but before this can take place the ring must be set up. Also if a new station wishes to join an operational ring, it must first go through an initialization procedure to ensure that it dose not interfere with the correct functioning of the current active ring. Also, during normal operation it is necessary for each active station on the ring to monitor its correct operation and if something is not working well it must take some action to try reestablishing a correctly functioning ring. Those functions and others, which are meant to preserve the correct ring operation, are called ring management. There are two types of stations in the ring Active Monitor (AM) station, and Standby Monitor (SBM) stations. There is only one Active Monitor station per ring. The Active Monitor is the ring manager. All other stations on the ring are Standby Monitor stations. Any station on the ring can be Active Monitor. The Active Monitor is chosen during a process called Claim Token Process after the Active Monitor is chosen all other stations become Standby Monitors (SBM) Active Monitor Duties: The Active Monitor Maintains the Master Clock it ensures proper ring delay (24 bit delay in the ring) It initiates Neighbor Notification every 7 seconds It monitors Token and Frame transmission, Detects lost tokens and frames by setting the monitor bit, Purging the ring. Standby Monitor Duties: To detect Active Monitor failures and to start Monitor Contention process To participate in the Neighbor Notification process. A list of the MAC frame types involved with the ring management function are:

Ring Poll: Active Monitor sends Ring Poll every 7 sec. this process is used to learn the ring configuration. The Ring Poll routine is: Active Monitor sends an AMP (Active Monitor Present) frame. Each Downstream station sends a SMP (Standby Monitor Present) frame. Each Downstream Node learns its Next Active Upstream Neighbor (NAUN). Ring Purge: Takes place when token is lost. The purge frame is sent before the Active monitor initiates a new token. The Active Monitor broadcasts Ring Purge frame to all stations if 10ms elapsed. The Purge frame resets the stations to normal Repeat mode and cancels or restarts appropriate timers Claim Token Process: This is how the new active monitor is elected. It is initiated when the Active\Standby Monitor detects loss of signal, or a new station attaches and finds no Active Monitor. Beacon: When a station detects a failure of token claiming following a Hardware error it transmits a Beacon frame. When the Next Active Upstream Neighbor (NAUN) receives 8 beacon frames, it removes itself from the ring. It then performs a lobe media test and duplicate address test. If theres a lobe error the station remains out of the ring and the ring continues its normal operation and a token Claim process takes place.

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Ring insertion: When a new station wants to enter the ring it performs a Ring insertion routine First it makes a lobe media check - checks the lobe connections. In the second step it attaches the ring and searches for an Active Monitor if there is no Active Monitor for 18 sec, it initiates claim token process. In the third step it transmits a duplicate address test (DAT) frame, each active station checks the content of the frame to see that the new station address is different from its own, if it is not, the station sets a flag in the frame to indicate the error. After the frame has circulated back to the source station the later checks the error flag and acts according to it. If there is no error the new station continues the init procedure by sending standby monitor present (SMP) frame.
Ethernet When we consider Ethernet we are talking about the use of a MAC protocol, which is contention, based specifically we are speaking about CSMS/CD as discussed in the last class. We are also considering specific wiring standards and rules. The term Ethernet commonly refers to original Ethernet (now most frequently identified as Ethernet II) as well as the IEEE 802.3 standards. However, Ethernet and the IEEE 802.3 standards differ in ways significant enough to make standards incompatible in terms of packet formats. At the Physical Layer, Ethernet and IEEE 802.3 are generally compatible in terms of cables, connectors, and electronic devices. RG 58 A/U Coax cable

Ethernet is generally used on light to medium traffic networks, and performs best when a network's data traffic is sent in short bursts. Ethernet is the most popular network standard. It has become especially popular in many university and government installations.

Ethernet Cabling A variety of cables can be used to implement Ethernet networks. Traditionally, Ethernets have been cabled with coax cables of several different types (similar to RG 8 for 10Base5 and RG 58 A/U for 10Base2). Fiber optic cables (FOIRL) Fiber Optic Inter-Repeater Link; are now frequently employed to extend the geographic range of Ethernets.

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The contemporary interest in using twisted pair wiring (UTP) has resulted in a new scheme for cabling using unshielded twisted pair. The 10Base-T cabling standard, which uses UTP in a star topology, is described later. Ethernet remains closely associated with coaxial cable, however. Two types of coaxial cable still used in small and large environments are thin net (also known as cheapernet) and thick net. The Ethernet networks have different limitations based on thinnet and thicknet cable specifications. The best way to remember the requirements is to use the following rule of thumb for each cable type. Typical Ethernet coax cable specifications: RG-58 A/U, stranded conductor, CL2, 95%+ copper braided shield, PVC jacket, nominal 50 ohm impedance, 29.5 nominal capacitance/ft. RG-58 A/U, stranded conductor, CL2P, 95%+ copper braided shield, Plenum jacket, nominal 50 ohm impedance, 27.0 nominal capacitance/ft. RG-58/U, solid conductor, CL2, 90%+ copper braided shield, PVC jacket, nominal 50 ohm impedance. 26.0 nominal capacitance/ft. Thick Ethernet Yellow Trunk Cable, solid conductor, CL2, double foil and braided shield, PVC jacket, nominal 50 ohm impedance, 26.0 nominal capacitance /ft. The 5-4-3 Rule

The 5-4-3 rule states that between any two nodes in the Ethernet network can be:
Up to (5) five segments in a series Up to (4) four concentrators or repeaters Up to (3) three populated segments (coax only) {cable that contain nodes}

10Base2 (ThinNet) The 10Base2, thinnet topology generally uses the on-board transceiver of the network interface card to translate the signals to and from the rest of the network. Thin net cabling uses RG-58 A/U coaxial type cable, 50 Ohm terminators, and BNC T-connectors that directly attach to the connector on the NIC. A grounded terminator must be used on only one end of the network segment. The components of a thin net network are shown below.

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STUDY NOTE: A transceiver is a device that takes the digital signal from the node and translates it to communicate on a baseband cabling system. NICs that support thinnet or 10BaseT/100Base-TX cable have built-in transceivers. External transceivers are used for 10Base5 thick Ethernet. Remember: several additional rules must be adhered to in 10Base2 thinnet Ethernet environments, including the following: o The minimum cable distance between workstations must be 1.5 feet or .5 meters. o Pig tails, also known as drop cables, from BNC T-connectors should not be used to connect to the BNC connector on the NIC. The BNC T-connector on the coax must be connected directly to the NIC. o You may not go beyond the maximum network segment limitation of 607 feet or 185 meters (not the 200 meters commonly stated). o The entire network-cabling scheme cannot exceed 3,035 feet or 925 meters. o The maximum number of nodes per network segment is 30 (this includes workstations and repeaters).

The IEEE 802.3 standard for thinnet is 10Base2. This standard describes a 10 Mbps baseband network with a maximum segment length of approximately 200 meters (the actual limit, as stated above is 185 meters). 10BASE5 (ThickNet) The 10Base5, thicknet topology uses an external transceiver to attach to the network interface card. The NIC attaches to the external transceiver by an AUI cable to the DIX connector on the card. Some external transceivers clamp to the thick net cable with metal points that resemble a vampire's teeth (vampire tap), others connect with standard BNC or N-series barrel connectors. As with thin net, each network segment must be terminated at both ends with one end using a grounded terminator. The components of a thicknet network are shown in the figure below.

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Remember: several additional guidelines along with the 5-4-3 rule must be followed in 10Base5 thicknet Ethernet networks: o The minimum cable distance between transceivers is eight feet or 2.5 meters. o You may not go beyond the maximum network segment length of 1,640 feet or 500 meters. o The entire network cabling scheme cannot exceed 8,200 feet or 2,500 meters. o One end of the terminated network segment must be grounded. o The maximum number of nodes per network segment is 100. (This includes all repeaters.)

The IEEE 802.3 standard that describes thicknet is 10Base5. This standard describes a 10 Mbps baseband network that can have segments up to 500 meters long. The 10Base5-cabling scheme and components are shown below.

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10Base- T/100Base- TX (Twisted Pair Ethernet) The trend in wiring Ethernet networks is to use unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable. UTP cable has a lower cost than coax. Another significant advantage is that UTP is smaller than coax, which relieves congestion of wiring conduits. UTP Ethernet is wired in a star-shaped design and is referred to in the technical world as 10BaseT. The cable uses RJ-45 connectors, and the network interface card can have RJ-45 jacks built into the back of the cards. External transceivers attached to a DIX connector can also be used to connect standard Ethernet cards into a twisted pair topology. The figure below shows 10Base-T Ethernet cabled using twisted pair and a concentrator.

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STUDY NOTE: Networks with star wiring topologies can be significantly easier to trouble shoot and repair than bus wired networks. With a star network, a problem node can be isolated from the rest of the network by simply disconnecting the cable and directly connecting it to the cable hub. If the hub is considered "intelligent", management software developed for that hub type can disconnect the suspect port. The additional rules for a 10Base-T network are as follows: o The maximum number of network segments is 1,024. o The maximum unshielded cable segment length is 328 feet or 100 meters.

STUDY NOTE: 10Base-T requires that the UTP cable system be compliant with a minimum rating of Category 3. RJ-45 connectors wired with two pairs (4 wires) on pins 1,2,3, & 6 are used with 10Base-T. Level IV is cable certified to operate at 10Base-T required throughput.

Fast Ethernet An extension of the popular 10Base-T Ethernet standard, Fast Ethernet transports data at 100 Mbps. With rules defined by the IEEE 802.3u standard, Fast Ethernet leverages the familiar Ethernet technology and retains the CSMA/CD protocol of 10 Mbps Ethernet. Three types of Fast Ethernet are available: 100Base- TX , which runs over Category 5 UTP; 100Base- T4 which runs over existing Category 3 UTP; 100Base- FX , which operates over multimode fiber optic cabling.

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Categories for UTP cable:

Category 3 - The characteristics are specified up to 16 MHz. They are typically used for voice and data transmission rates up to and including 10 Mbps, e.g. IEEE 802.5 4-Mbps UTP (Token Ring) and IEEE 802.3 10Base-T (Ethernet). Category 4 - The characteristics are specified up to 20MHz. They are typically used for voice and data transmission rates up to and including 16 MHz, e.g. IEEE 802.5 16-Mbps UTP (Token Ring). Category 5 - The characteristics are specified up to 100 MHz. They are typically used for voice and data transmissions up to and including 100 Mbps e.g. the 100Base-TX Fast Ethernet, 100 MBps Fast ARCnet, and others.
Ethernet Trouble shooting Look for the following things when trouble shooting Ethernets: With 10Base-T & 100Base-TX, make sure that the cable used has the correct number of twists to meet the data grade specifications. Electrical interference can be caused by tying the network cable together with monitor and power cords. Outside interference also can be caused by fluorescent lights, electric motors, and other electrical devices. Make sure that connectors are pinned properly and crimped tightly. Check the cable lengths to make sure that distance specifications are not exceeded. If excess shielding on coax cable is exposed, it may be grounding out the connector. Make sure that coax cables are not coiled tightly together. Check the grade of the cable being used. For thinnet, RG-58 A/U is required. Thick net cable must meet Ethernet specifications. If using a linear bus setup, make sure that the topology rules are followed. Check for missing terminator or terminators with improper impedance ratings. Make sure that all the component cables in a segment are connected together. A user who moves his workstation and removes the T-connector incorrectly can cause a broken segment.

10Base2, thinnet and 10Base5, thick net cable can be combined to extend the distance of an Ethernet network topology (spanning tree topology). The following formula can be used to define the maximum amount of thinnet cable that can be used in one network segment combination: Maximum length of thinnet that can be used = (length of new network 1,640 feet segment to be added)

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Handout #7 A linear bus topology is economical to wire because it is not necessary to have a separate cable run for each workstation. However, some local problems on a linear bus have the capability of bringing the entire network down. If a break is in the cable or a streaming (beaconing) NIC is in the channel, the entire network can go down. Streaming is more frequently referred to as a broadcast storm. This occurs when a network card fails, and the transmitter floods the cable with traffic, just like a faucet that is stuck open. At this point, the network becomes unusable.

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