Token Ring

A local area network (LAN) developed by IBM (IEEE 802.5). It uses a token ring access method and connects up to 255 nodes in a star topology at 4 or 16 Mbps. All stations connect to a central wiring hub called the MAU (Multistation Access Unit) using a twisted wire cable. The central hub makes it easier to troubleshoot failures than a bus topology. This is a different type of hub than the one used in 10BaseT twisted pair Ethernet networks.

Token Ring is more deterministic than Ethernet. It ensures that all users get regular turns at transmitting their data. With Ethernet, all users compete to get onto the network.

Token Ring is a data link protocol (MAC layer protocol) and functions at layers 1 and 2 of the OSI model.