Token ring topology?Token ring network card

[M44y4]

HI,
Can someone please help me understand the difference between a token ring topology and a token ring network card; this is not a part of my homework, however a part of my research did involve reseaching a token ring topology and i came up with;

Ring topology is a computer network configuration where each network computer and device are connected to each other forming a large circle. Each packet is sent around the ring until it reaches its final destination. Today, the ring topology is seldom used. The ring network works on an equal share, where everyone gets to communicate in turn."

...And then a collegue of mine informaed me that there was a token ring network card, and although i have looked it up on the intertnet; most sites have referred to the topology and i don't really understand teh difference (unless of course they are the same thing :S)

THANK YOU.

[caperjack]

hello i don't know a lot about this topic,but i do remember buying a box of mixed computer card on e-bay a few years back and got ripped off because more than half of them were outdated tokenring network cards, like the one in the picture ,the biggest difference in them and todays cards is the BNC connector .
so they are both not the same thing .one is the network card,one is the way the card was used connect the computers .happy hunting http://nurulaisyah2.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/localtalk-connectors.png

[rubberman]

The idea of a token ring local area network (LAN) is to allow all computers on the LAN equal opportunity to transmit their data. A "token" is passed around from system to system, and only the system holding the token can transmit. Yes, the token-ring network invented by IBM is a true ring. There is also the ARCnet token bus where instead of a physical ring, all systems connect to hubs, and each hub is connected to one or more other hubs, allowing multiple redundant paths between systems, thus increasing the overall reliability in face of hardware failure or cable breakage/detachment. Token ring itself is not fully deterministic real-time capable, whereas ARCnet is.