Early Vid: Token Ring
Added 2025-02-05 18:30:52 +0000 UTCFirst of many token ring videos! I cover a lot of ground, setting up some Windows 95 machines and experimenting with some Cisco token ring port adapters, but don't quite get it working. Looking forward to your comments!
Video live on Friday.
Comments
IBM initially wanted Texas Instruments to develop Token-Ring for them, but it was too slow, and IBM took back the reins to release the 4Mbps level in October 1985 (on a personal note, I had just reported to Navy boot camp). The initial 'Azores' adapter chipset was replaced with an integrated ASIC code-named 'Spyglass' (all IBM Token-Ring components have been named after golf-related places), which brought in the 16Mbps speed. 'Spyglass' was used to derive 'Pinegrove' and 'Pinegrove Shrink' (reduced die) ASICs. Later on, IBM licensed Token-Ring to National Semiconductor, with the 'TROPIC' (Token-Ring Protocol Interface Controller) chipset that were renumbered, but identical ASICs. Texas Instruments had made their own (incompatible) chipsets that are used on some 3Com products, with others based on TROPIC for the "True Blue" labeling. There are still some errors that need to be corrected in areas at the 'Ardent-Tool', but I intend to supplement the material that isn't microchannel-related on my site.
IBM Museum
2025-03-27 22:59:04 +0000 UTCPart 4 title card ππππ
Mac Folklore Radio
2025-02-08 01:34:43 +0000 UTCYeah, more or less the same experience here. My first real job out of school in late 1997 (I'm a 1976 vintage) was at a place with an IBM AS/400 and some Token Ring networks still in place. Most of the network had already transitioned to Ethernet when I started, and the rest soon followed within a few years. I didn't have much personal involvement in the operations of the Token Ring portion of the network, but it was my impression that it was way more complicated to maintain and troubleshoot than Ethernet, but those MAUs sure look familiar. I sort of remember the cables that ran from the central wiring locations to the wall/desk outlets that the large Token Ring data connectors plugged in to. Those were some heavy duty, unwieldly and cumbersome cables indeed. It sure was good to get rid of those. :D
Peter Tirsek
2025-02-06 17:22:07 +0000 UTCAh-ha! Okay I thought I was right but wasn't 100% sure haha
clabretro
2025-02-05 23:11:49 +0000 UTCI've always pronounced it net-booey Seems like PC Mag agrees https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/netbeui
Jordan
2025-02-05 23:09:00 +0000 UTCCould be, I'll give that a try!
clabretro
2025-02-05 22:04:01 +0000 UTCHaha that does not sound fun!
clabretro
2025-02-05 22:03:48 +0000 UTCSome of the Win 95 issues might be because you have all the Netware client stuff still on. I would drop the Netware client and IPX/SPX. I don't think this is why you can't get into the MAU (since the Cisco couldn't) but it might explain some of the Win 95 blue screens.
Jack Beckman
2025-02-05 22:00:44 +0000 UTCMy first IT work was at a county in Sweden, south of Stockholm. They had IBM machines, AS400 servers and ofc Tokenring. All that was a pain in the but.. It did work fine but when something went wrong.... Those PC's had the bios on the hard drive, so floppys to change the setup on the machine, changing HDD was no simple task, out with the old in with new, format and then install the bios... well i do think it was NOT better before! :D OS for those days was DOS 6 and Win 3.1 but was upgraded to 3.11! WOW!
Alf Lundggren
2025-02-05 21:56:51 +0000 UTCreally cool, I don't think I've ever actually seen it installed out in the wild
clabretro
2025-02-05 21:38:26 +0000 UTCOne of the companies I worked for earlier in my career still had all of the token ring wiring throughout their offices. It was very interesting stuff to play around with even though they had transitioned to Ethernet by the time I got there.
Jonathan Cilley
2025-02-05 21:19:26 +0000 UTCOoooh, been waiting for this one!
Jordan
2025-02-05 20:13:39 +0000 UTC
