Ethernet - the office network standard If you use a network in the office the chances are that you already use Ethernet. It is the most widespread networking topology in the PC industry. The Ethernet standard describes the method of data exchange within the network, how each machine relates to others, how they check for presence and many more details. All of these are established standards which work well. What is important for PC users is how they can connect to the office system. The physical connection in Ethernet is remarkably similar to American phone clips. These small, clear plastic plugs are either connected direct to the expansion boards (for ISA, PCI or SCSI) or to a small adaptor cable in the case of PC Cards. The traditional speed in Ethernet networks has been 10 Mbits per second (Mbps). This was largely limited by the speed of the ISA bus which for many years was standard desktop expansion connection. Since the availability of PCI, however a super fast Ethernet running at 100 Mbps has also been developed. This is often referred to as 100Base T. For mobile PC users, connecting to an office Ethernet is both easy and cheap. Due to its widespread popularity, dozens of Ethernet cards are available for all possible connection hardware. Credit-card sized adaptors using the PC Card format are the easiest to use. They can be plugged directly into the notebook or attached to optional desktop units such as Toshiba's Card or Desk Stations. Due to Windows 95 plug and play features networking can also be done on the fly after booting.

Token Ring - the power of IBM Let no-one say that IBM has no influence on the PC market. The existence of the Token Ring networking topology is a tribute to the power of IBM marketing and the pull of its mainframe computers. For companies using IBM hardware, Token Ring offers an alternative to Ethernet. It is particularly designed for integration with IBM mainframes and their network terminals and it allows PCs to emulate mainframe terminals so that only one computer is needed per desk. In terms of a network there is little to differentiate Token Ring from Ethernet for the end user. Token Ring has completely different connectivity patterns, methods of data exchange, security and much more, but all this is hidden from the user. The only visible difference is the connector on the network card. And like Ethernet, cards are available on all standard formats including those for notebooks PCs. Arguments about better or worse stability are best left to IS departments as the networking standard is certainly a company level decision and irrelevant for individual notebook users. In terms of speed Token Ring ran traditionally at 4 MB per second. Nowadays networks often run at 16 MB per second. Super fast variations comparable with the Ethernet 100Base T are in development. For Windows 95 Token Ring is as transparent as Ethernet. Users can benefit from plug and play in exactly the same way.