Re: Computer A+ reference trivia

["Comstock-Fisher, Julie" <jmfisher -at- BUTLERMFG -dot- ORG>]

A Multistation Access Unit (abbreviated as MAU or MSAU) is a token-ring
network hub. It physically connects network computers in a star topology
while retaining the logical ring structure. One of the problems with the
token-ring topology is that a single non-operating node can break the
ring. The MAU solves this problem because it has the ability to short
out non-operating nodes and maintain the ring structure.

A smart MAU apparently has the ability to support multiple media types
and/or multiple access methods. I assume that means that you could have
two different types of networking using the same hub; for example, you
might be able to use the hub for both a 10BaseT Ethernet LAN and a Token
Ring LAN.


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....................................................................
...............................................Julie Comstock-Fisher
.......................................Technical Writer (Consultant)

> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Nesbit [SMTP:janesbit -at- HOTMAIL -dot- COM]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 1998 6:59 PM
> To:   TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject:      Computer A+ reference trivia
>
> What is a "smart multistation access unit"? From the definitions found
> a "multistation access unit" is the "central hub for
> IBM-computer-station Token Ring networks".  What does the "smart" do
> for
> this term?
>
>