What is Token Ring?
[[File:token ring.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|Two examples of Token Ring networks: a) Using a single [[Media Access Unit]] b) Using several MAUs connected to each other]] '''Token Ring''' is a networking protocol for [[Local area network|Local area networks]]. It uses [[token passing]] at the [[data link layer]]. The token has two states, either it is free, or it is taken, and data follows. When a computer has a message to send, it appends the message to the token, and sets the token state to taken. Each [[workstation]] along the ring sees the message. If the workstation was the recipient of the message, it sends a new empty token, otherwise it passes the token along. Since the only way to send data is to wait for an empty token, there will be no collisions. Token ring is the network that has fair access for all its connected workstations or host. Token Ring was mainly used by [[IBM]] in the 1970s to 1990s, today, [[Ethernet]] has replaced it in many applications. {{tech-stub}} [[Category:Computer networking]]