Page 841 - (ISC)² CISSP Certified Information Systems Security Professional Official Study Guide

Ethernet can support full-duplex communications (in other words, full
two-way) and usually employs twisted-pair cabling. (Coaxial cabling

was originally used.) Ethernet is most often deployed on star or bus
topologies. Ethernet is based on the IEEE 802.3 standard. Individual
units of Ethernet data are called frames. Fast Ethernet supports 100
Mbps throughput. Gigabit Ethernet supports 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps)
throughput. 10 Gigabit Ethernet support 10,000 Mbps (10 Gbps)
throughput.

Token Ring

Token Ring employs a token-passing mechanism to control which
systems can transmit data over the network medium. The token
travels in a logical loop among all members of the LAN. Token Ring
can be employed on ring or star network topologies. It is rarely used
today because of its performance limitations, higher cost compared to
Ethernet, and increased difficulty in deployment and management.
Token Ring hasn’t been seen in most networks for a decade or more.

Token Ring can be deployed as a physical star using a multistation
access unit (MAU). A MAU allows for the cable segments to be
deployed as a star while internally the device makes logical ring
connections.

Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI)

Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) is a high-speed token-
passing technology that employs two rings with traffic flowing in
opposite directions. FDDI is often used as a backbone for large

enterprise networks. Its dual-ring design allows for self-healing by
removing the failed segment from the loop and creating a single loop
out of the remaining inner and outer ring portions. FDDI is expensive
but was often used in campus environments before Fast Ethernet and
Gigabit Ethernet were developed. A less-expensive, distance-limited,
and slower version known as Copper Distributed Data Interface
(CDDI) uses twisted-pair cables. CDDI is also more vulnerable to

interference and eavesdropping.

Subtechnologies