Chipcom Corp has entered the Token Ring network market with a fault-tolerant Token Ring module for its Online System Concentrator: the Token Ring Multistation Access Unit Module is the first in a series of new Online Token Ring products, and the one-slot Module connects eight desktop computers and servers running at 4Mbps or 16Mbps per second; one to 16 Token Ring networks can be installed in a System Concentrator for a total of 128 Token Ring stations, and multiple concetrators nay be combined to connect a large number of users; the Module supports both shielded and unshielded twisted-pair cabling, and it handles cable lengths up to 1,000 feet and up to 300 feet respectively; Online hubs can be linked together to form a single ring of up to 250 stations on shielded, and up to 72 stations per ring on unshielded cable; the Module can integrate multiple Token Ring and Ethernet networks in a single System Concentrator, also called a smart hub, and the company claims that it provides one of the highest densities of Token Ring ports available in a smart hub; available in 60 days, the Token Ring Module costs around $1,200.
