Local Area Network (LAN) Technologies Report Introduction Local Area Network, LAN, is a data communications network connecting

terminals, computers, and printers within a building or other geographically limited areas (Haugdahl, 1999, p !") These de#ices $a% &e connected through wired ca&les or wireless links LAN is usuall% owned &% an indi#idual or a single entit% such as an organi'ation, and the users co$$unicate with each other &% sending e($ail or &% chatting )n a LAN technolog%, applications are stored in the LAN server (Haugdahl, 1999, p !"), allowing the users to e*change resources with each other at the LAN ser#er LANs can trans$it data at a rate +aster than data trans+erred o#er a telephone line, and can also &e connected to other LANs The $a,or LAN technologies are -thernet and Token Ring This paper discussed these two technologies in detail 1

Ethernet )ntroduction . -thernet is &% +ar the $ost widel% used Local Area Networking, LAN, technolog% used in the world toda% Ethernet was the brainchild of Bob Metcalfe and David Boggs (Haugdahl, 1999, p !!) The standard was created at !ero" #alo Alto $esearch %entre, #A$% in &'() (Haugdahl, 1999, p !!), +or networking a group o+ co$puters that could all use a new Laser printer that /ero* had $ade *he original version of the Ethernet operated at +,' Mbps (Haugdahl, 1999, p !!), a speed that was chosen &ecause it was a $ultiple o+ the clock speed o+ the original Alto co$puter created &% /ero* in 19!0 as a personal co$puter targeted at research The original -thernet standard was de#eloped o#er the ne*t +ew %ears, and this resulted in a paper EthernetDistributed #acket./witching for Local %omputer Networks published in the

Local Area Network (LAN) Technologies Report 0 %ommunications of A%M, 0ol, &', No, 1, 2uly &'(3, pp, )'1.454 (1hepard, 0220, p 34) Later a consortiu$ o+ three co$panies . Digital E6uipment %orporation, 7ntel, and !ero", further developed the Ethernet 77 or the D7! standard (5ueller 6 7gletree, 0228, p 02!) These co$panies used the networking technolog% to add networking capa&ilities to their product line -thernet has adapted o#er the %ears running on newer de#ices and running $edia and can now run on coa"ial cables, twisted.pair wiring and fiber.optic coupling (5ueller 6 7gletree, 0228, p 02!) 9urpose and :unction . The initial place +or the usage o+ -thernet was +or connecting o++ice e;uip$ents, as is seen a&o#e The standard is prett% $uch an international standard +or this purpose e#en in the present da%s -thernet is &asicall% a &us structure in which all the signals are se;uentiall% carried on a single wire *he Ethernet standard e"tends only over hardware and signal levels (5ueller 6 7gletree, 0228, p 02!) An Ethernet network can operate under a variety of network protocols (5ueller 6 7gletree, 0228, p 02!)< it is e#en possi&le to support two di++erent network protocols si$ultaneousl% on an -thernet ca&le Accepted places +or usage . Ethernet has established itself as the de facto standard for #% networks (5ueller 6 7gletree, 0228, p 02!) )t has &eco$e the $ost widel% used co$$unications $ediu$ =ue to its present wide acceptance, -thernet has also &een suggested +or use in $an% di#erse application +ields such as auto$ations, and e#en e$&edded s%ste$s (5ueller 6 7gletree, 0228, p 023) 9ros and >ons . :ollowing are the ad#antages with -thernet

Local Area Network (LAN) Technologies Report 1 8 7ne o+ the $a,or ad#antages o+ the -thernet is that it is already compatible with the e"isting industry.standard #% software and hardware 9>s generall% include -thernet inter+aces and all the co$$ercial operating s%ste$s ha#e &uilt(in -thernet dri#ers (?edell, 0220, p 03) 0 As co$pared to token(passing networks -thernet has alread% pro#ed to &e scala&le with high per+or$ance -thernet also has longer(range distances up to &15km when used in fiber based.L! mode, *he standard is full.duple", symmetrical and switched (?edell, 0220, p 03) 8 A $ain reason +or the -thernet &eco$ing a de +acto standard is &ecause it is less e*pensi#e to i$ple$ent Also since -thernet has &een e#ol#ing +or a&out8 decades, there is a large pool o+ pro+essionals a#aila&le who understand the standard (?edell, 0220, p 03) 4 -thernet supports high &andwidth applications and is a relia&le $ediu$ with high le#el o+ securit% (?edell, 0220, p 03) :ollowing are the disad#antages with -thernet 1 =espite the low cost, -thernet still re;uires new ca&les to &e installed +or the ho$e network 0 The -thernet also re;uires a signi+icant a$ount o+ con+igurations &% the users, which is not alwa%s eas% 8 -thernet is a non(deter$inistic protocol and does not support an% $essage prioriti'ation (Hristu(@arsakelis 6 Le#ine, 022A, p ""A) 4 ?ecause o+ the re;uired $ini$u$ #alid +ra$e si'e, Ethernet uses a large frame si8e to transmit a small amount of data (Hristu(@arsakelis 6 Le#ine,

Local Area Network (LAN) Technologies Report 4 022A, p ""A) This causes high tra++ic loads, which are a $a,or pro&le$ &ecause the% greatl% a++ect data throughput and ti$e dela%s $a% &eco$e un&ounded 5arket share ( -thernet do$inates o#er '5 percent of the installed networks worldwide (?allew, 199!, p 84) -thernet networks are used in all $a,or industries where the re;uire$ent +or high(speed relia&le co$$unications is a necessit% >urrent le#el o+ i$ple$entation . There are three t%pes o+ -thernet, pri$aril% distinguished +ro$ one another &% speedB 1 12(5&ps -thernet . This was the original -thernet standard which was enhanced in 1932 and &eca$e known as )--- 320 8 The -thernet uses shielded twisted pair ca&le, unshielded twisted pair ca&le or coa*ial ca&le, and works at a $a*i$u$ speed o+ 12 5 &its per second (Andrews, 0228, p 4"9) 0 122(5&ps -thernet or :ast -thernet . This is the i$pro#ed #ersion o+ 12(5&ps -thernet, and is also known so$eti$es as 122?aseT The $a*i$u$ data speed is 122 5 &its per second This standard uses either a shielded twisted pair ca&le or a unshielded twisted pair ca&le The standard is downward co$pati&le with 12( 5&ps -thernet Two #ariations o+ 122?aseT are 122?aseT/ and 122?ase:/, the latter using optical +i&ers (Andrews, 0228, p 4"9) 8 Ciga&it -thernet . This is the latest #ersion o+ -thernet and is also known as 1222(5&ps -thernet, &ecause o+ the $a*i$u$ data speed The protocol uses twisted(pair ca&les or optical +i&ers )t is used +or high(speed LAN &ack&ones and +or ser#er(to(ser#er connections (Andrews, 0228, p 4"9)

Local Area Network (LAN) Technologies Report Token Ring )ntroduction . Token Ring is the second $ost widel% used Local Area network, LAN, technolog% a+ter -thernet 7BM originally developed the *oken $ing in &'(5, *he credit for the technology however goes to a fellow named 9laf /oderblum, who developed the token ring passing network to connect 7BM mainframes in /weden (1hiple%, 0220, p 04) Howe#er, the )?5 Token Ring Network, TRN, did not appear on the scene until 193A, when the protocol was standardi8ed by 7EEE as :5+,1 with a speed of 4Mbps (1hiple%, 0220, p 04) 1oon )?5 +ront end processors, such as the 7BM )(41s, were shipped with *oken $ing interfaces (1hiple%, 0220, p 04) At the ti$e Token Ring pro#ided a +ast LAN $ediu$, and was an i$$ediate success with )?5 custo$ers, pri$aril% &ecause aside +or$ 9> Net, it was the onl% LAN that )?5 reall% endorsed at the ti$e The market share of *oken $ing was almost )1; till the middle &''5s (1hiple%, 0220, p 04), e#en though it was an e*pensi#e alternati#e to the -thernet 9urpose and :unction . Token Ring is $uch $ore suita&le than -thernet +or delay sensitive applications like the 7BM /ystems Network Architecture, /NA Token Ring is also reco$$ended +or i$age applications (1hiple%, 0220, p 04) Accepted places +or usage . Token Ring LANs, like -thernet LANs are co$$on in o++ice en#iron$ents, linking personal co$puters +or the purpose o+ data +ile trans+er, electronic $essaging, $ain+ra$e co$puter interaction and +ile sharing Token Ring is the &est choice +or a +ra$ework i+ the per+or$ance o+ the network is the $ost i$portant concern and not the network up ti$e (5ueller 6 7gletree, 0228, p 012) 9ros and >ons . :ollowing are the ad#antages with Token Rings A

Local Area Network (LAN) Technologies Report 1 " The $ain ad#antage o+ Token Ring is that all the nodes of the network have e6ual chance of transmitting the data (1hinder, 0221, p 14A) 0 Token Ring network uses the a#aila&le &andwidth $ore e++icientl% than -thernet (1hinder, 0221, p 14A) 8 Token Ring can pro#ide duplicate 5A> address support, which -thernet cannot pro#ide (1hinder, 0221, p 14A) 4 Token Ring is a highl% relia&le architecture, and its token passing sche$e eli$inates data collisions (1hinder, 0221, p 14A) A Token Ring can also detect and isolate a +ault% node, so the network is not &rought down &% the +ailure o+ one co$puter (1hinder, 0221, p 14A) :ollowing are the disad#antages with Token Rings 1 0 -thernet de#ices are si$pler than Token Ring de#ices (1hinder, 0221, p 14A) -cono$ies o+ scale $ake -thernet $uch less e*pensi#e than Token Ring (1hinder, 0221, p 14A) 8 -thernet also o#erco$es its e++icienc% pro&le$ &% &eing $uch +aster than the Token Ring (1hinder, 0221, p 14A) 4 A $a,or li$itation with the Token Ring is also its a#aila&ilit%, while $an% present da% $achines co$e e;uipped with -thernet, or one can &e installed easil%, the sa$e cannot &e said +or a Token Ring )nter+ace (?allew, 199!, p 84) 5arket share . Dhile Token ring networks are not nearl% as plenti+ul as -thernet Networks, the% are +ound at $ost $a,or data centers running )?5 $ain+ra$es The reason +or this is &ecause Token ring networks are $ore e*pensi#e to i$ple$ent than -thernet networks (?allew, 199!, p 84)

Local Area Network (LAN) Technologies Report ! >urrent le#el o+ i$ple$entation . Token Ring, as is $entioned a&o#e, is a set o+ network standards de#eloped &% )?5 that de+ine a co$plete network s%ste$ The standard is co$pletel% inco$pati&le with -thernet and is considered as its co$petitor Token Ring networks use a Ring topolog%, $ost co$$onl% toda% as a star ring The topologies here are wired into a star con+iguration using shielded twisted pair ca&le or unshielded twisted pair ca&le The networks are classi+ied intoB small movable networks that support up to '3 nodes and &+ Multi.station Access <nits, MA< and, large non.movable networks that support up to +35 nodes and )5 MA<s (?arrett 6 Eing, 022A, p 18"(18!)

Local Area Network (LAN) Technologies Report 3 References Andrews F, 0228, <pgrade and $epair with 2ean Andrews, 9u&lishedB Tho$son >ourse Technolog%, 5assachusetts, )1?N 1A90221100, 9!31A9022110A

?allew 15, 199!, Managing 7# Networks with %isco $outers, 1st -dition, 9u&lishedB 7GReill%, )1?N 1A"A908022, 9!31A"A908021

?arrett =, Eing T, 022A, %omputer Networking 7lluminated, 9u&lishedB Fones 6 ?artlett 9u&lishers, 5assachusetts, )1?N 2!"8!0"!"1, 9!32!"8!0"!"3

?edell 9, 0220, =igabit Ethernet for Metro Area Networks, 9u&lishedB 5cCraw(Hill 9ro+essional, New Hork, )1?N 22!189839!, 9!322!1898393

Haugdahl F1, 1999, Network Analysis and *roubleshooting, 9u&lishedB Addison(Desle%, New Ferse%, )1?N 2021488190, 9!3202148819!

Hristu(@arsakelis =, Le#ine D1, 022A, >andbook of Networked and Embedded %ontrol /ystems- NE%/, 9u&lishedB 1pringer, 5ar%land, )1?N 231!"8089A, 9!3231!"8089!

5ueller 1, 7gletree TD, <pgrading and $epairing Networks, 4th -dition, 9u&lishedB Iue 9u&lishing, )ndianapolis, )1?N 2!39!031!", 9!32!39!031!8

Local Area Network (LAN) Technologies Report 9 1hepard 1, 0220, Metro Area Networking, #ublished- Mc=raw.>ill #rofessional, New Hork, )1?N 22!1899148, 9!322!1899140

1hinder =L, 0221, %omputer Networking Essentials, 9u&lishedB >isco 9ress, )ndianapolis, )1?N 1A3!18283", 9!31A3!182832

1hiple% ?, 0220, 7nstaller?s =uide to Local Area Networks, 9u&lishedB Tho$son =el$ar Learning, New Hork, )1?N 2!""388!4!, 9!32!""388!4"