Token Ring data rates question

8. What are valid data rates for a Token Ring network?
a. 4 Mbps
b. 10 Mbps
c. 16 Mbps
d. 100 Mbps

Answer(s): a. 4 Mbps
c. 16 Mbps

Your Answer(s): a. 4 Mbps
c. 16 Mbps
d. 100 Mbps

I happen to know quite well that my answer is correct and Token Ring is rated for 100mbps, having setup a few of them. They just did it slower than Ethernet so Token Ring kinda faded from existance.

http://www.govstreetusa.com/shop/product.asp?sku=G030934L5201

If anyone would like to argue, that URL will allow you to purchase a 100/16/4 Token Ring card, and they are even kind enough to show the technical specifications

Now, what I'm wondering is this. Is the Net+ exam saying that only 4 and 16 are supported, despite the fact that 100 *is* supported, or are they splitting hairs and getting *really* technical like saying simple Ethernet is only rated at 10mbps, but Fast Ethernet is rated for 100 mbps.

It's like one of my teachers says, 'the correct answer is whatever gets you credit on the test' and I'm wondering if this is a situation where I'm going to have to knowingly answer a question wrong in order to get credit for it hehe

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Comments

bellboy

i ran into this problem with a+. the way i got around it was that what ever was correct when the objectives were written is what comptia are looking for.

if 100mbps token ring is on fiber optic, comptia may consider it more likely as fddi.

Webmaster

Drakonblayde wrote:

I happen to know quite well that my answer is correct and Token Ring is rated for 100mbps, having setup a few of them. They just did it slower than Ethernet so Token Ring kinda faded from existance.

You do have a point, however (originaly IBM's) Token Ring specification does not support 100 Mbps. The technology you are talking about is known as High-Speed TokenRing (HSTR), supported by the current IEEE 802.5 Token Ring specification and is generally used for high-speed backbone connectivity, if used at all

The Smart DeskStream Token Ring Switch offers 32 Mbps as well.

Nevertheless the answer to the practice question (and also if CompTIA will ask, to their question) is 4 and 16 Mbps.

Here's a tip when it comes to CompTIA, use the KIS principal:
Keep It Simple. (they don't expect people that take the test to have installed several 100 Mbps HSTR networks)
I many cases you might think there is an exception, CompTIA is not looking for that exception.

I've added the text (Choose 2) to the question making 4 and 16 the definit best answers and making it a typical CompTIA style question. Thanks for your input here Drakonblayde!

Finally, for those interested some additional reading:

As a result of the declining customer interest in Token Ring products, the number of vendors supplying Token Ring NICs, hubs, and switches has declined. Perhaps more ominous for the long-term viability of Token Ring, however, is the lack of widespread support for HSTR. HSTR, originally supported by Bay, Cisco, 3Com, IBM, Madge Networks, Olicom, TI, and Cabletron, was the one hope that would provide increased bandwidth for Token Ring backbones and server farms and therefore allow customers with Token Ring to continue to reap benefits from their continued investment in the technology. One by one, the original proponents of HSTR dropped their plans for support until only IBM, Olicom, and Madge were left. In late 1998, IBM quietly cancelled its previously announced HSTR-based switch. Then, in August 1999, IBM and Cisco announced that IBM would exit the Ethernet switching and routing markets, which includes most of its LAN switches and all of its routers. IBM continues to support the Token Ring NICs and switches but does not aggressively promote Token Ring switching anymore. At about the same time as the Cisco/IBM announcement, Olicom exited the Token Ring business, selling to Madge Networks. The net effect of these recent moves is that there is only a single vendor (Madge Networks) still actively promoting HSTR.

bellboy

webmaster, is hstr included in ccna objectives?

Webmaster

No. I read lots and lots of CCNA material and researched the exam objectives for the CCNA TechNote extensively, never saw any mention of HSTR. Token Ring itself is hardly included.
Although I do consider Cisco as an authority as it comes to network certs it is still the 'Cisco way', meaning they will cover those technologies supported widely by their products only. (That's why that darn AppleTalk still comes up once in a while, Cisco started using PCs instead of all MACs just a couple of years ago.) Also in genera, they like to ask about the latest technologies, not as much about things that are almost phased out or have hardly been in use anyway.

And as the CCNP exam are being replaced/updated with the newest technologies, I think it's fair to say that the only cert that might cover it(as in 'what is it', definitely not 'how to configure it') is the CCDA exam.

Drakonblayde

hehe, so they are splitting hairs and defining Token Ring and High Speed Token Ring as two different things. I kinda figured that was the issue. I can see that when I go to test, I'm going to have to be careful about outthinking myself. Kinda like asking what Layer does a NIC belong to. I know the answer to that is that it belongs to both, Physical and Data Link layers, but I've seen practice materials that say it's physical and others that say it's data link. Kinda stinks I'm going to have to be careful about outthinking myself when it comes time to take the exam.