2-2
D
ESIGNING
AND
E
XPANDING
THE
N
ETWORK
Building a
CoreBuilder 5000
Token Ring
Network
lists general rules for building a CoreBuilder 5000 Token Ring
network.
Table 2-1
Building a CoreBuilder 5000 Token Ring Network
Rule
Definition
Recommendation/Notes
1
Understand your
network.
Understand the network you are developing
before you begin. Understand all network
components and know their physical location. If
the number of stations on a ring approaches 250
(190 with 4Mbps UTP), consider creating
multiple smaller rings connected with
bridges
and
routers
instead of building one large ring.
2
Determine the
number of stations
per ring and each
location.
Have a written plan of your configuration,
including the number of stations and their
location. The maximum number of stations
allowed in a single 16 Mbps ring is 250.
Four Mbps rings are allowed up to 190 stations.
Consider using significantly fewer than the
maximum number of stations per ring. Although
the physical medium supports the specified
station count, networks may experience
bandwidth problems if too many stations are
added to a single ring. Maximum station count
means you can add stations up to the maximum
limit without fear of physical layer problems
disrupting the ring.
3
Determine the ring
speed of your
network.
The number of stations per ring and the type of
cable used help determine the speed of the
network. Some configurations are more reliable
on high grade cabling.
Use 4 Mbps configuration rules if you do not plan
to upgrade to a 16 Mbps network. Otherwise,
use 16 Mbps rules.
When designing a network, remember that
individual ports on port-switching modules can
operate at either 4 and 16 Mbps, as long as the
speed matches the speed of the ring. This
automatic speed detect feature allows you to
change a station ring speed if you upgrade the
adapter card, without having to change the
physical wire.
