1. Introduction
This chapter discusses translation fromToken-Ring to Ethernet on a general level
and lists important features and benefits of the CrossFire 8730 Switch.
For information on the specific physical features of the switch, please refer to the
CrossFire 8730 Fast Ethernet Translation Switch Installation Guide.
About the CrossFire 8730
The CrossFire 8730 is a simple and inexpensive solution to the challenge of
connecting Token-Ring and Ethernet networks, enabling data to quickly and easily
flow between the two architectures - at nearly wire speed.
The CrossFire 8730 translates all Token-Ring packets directly into Fast Ethernet
frames. This avoids the limitations of proprietary encapsulation techniques.
The CrossFire 8730 supports translational bridging for the key network protocols
SNA, IP, IPX, and NetBios. Moreover, all native Token-Ring features, including
source routing and IEEE 802.1Q tagged VLAN are supported as well as all network
speeds for both standard Token-Ring (16/4 Mbps) and Ethernet (10/100 Mbps).
Also, the CrossFire 8730 supports four different switching modes to provide
maximum flexibility in all installation environments. The switching modes are
Source Route Switching (SRS), Source Route Bridging (SRB), Source Route
Transparent (SRT) and SRT/SRB.
For more information on these features read Chapter 2, "Switch Overview" .
STACK-LINK
TX
RX
ATTACH
MANAGEMENT
PWR
DIAG
1
2
3
Figure 1. CrossFire 8730 Fast Ethernet Translation Switch
CrossFire 8730 Switch Reference Guide, DOC-7047 v. 1.1
STATUS
FAULT
21-22
21
ERR
RST
4
5
6
7
8
CrossFire 8730
ACT
ACT
STATUS
100
100
LINK
LINK
FAULT
22
25-26
FAST ETHERNET
9
10
11
12
13
14
Fast Ethernet Translation Switch
ACT
ACT
100
100
LINK
LINK
25
26
15
16
17
18
19
20
1
Introduction