Member Avatar for nagen

Hi,
I got router (Cisco 2521) 4 serial ports, one token ring port but NO Ethernet Port.
I am wondering is it possible to connect a Windows XP Prof. PC directly to the router token ring port, If I arrange a token ring card and a cable !!! I don’t have any experience with token ring, so do I need a third device? or what’s the way to communicate my pc and router through token ring port?
Thanks

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Quick summary and focused troubleshooting for the symptoms already reported by (router shows “Lobe test failed”, PC shows “Media cable disconnected”) and the practical note from about MAUs.

Token Ring is a physical-ring technology that normally expects a MAU (multiport access unit) or proper transceiver between station and another device. The two most likely causes here are a physical/media mismatch (wrong connector, missing transceiver/MAU, bad cable) or the NIC/router failing to see the other end during the lobe test. The router error you saw is a physical-layer self-test failure rather than an IP/route problem.

Practical steps to try

  • Check the PC NIC: confirm driver is installed, watch the NIC link/activity LED while connecting, and open Network Connections/Device Manager to confirm the adapter is enabled.
  • Verify the physical interface: confirm the router port and the NIC use the same token-ring media (twisted-pair vs transceiver type). If in doubt, insert a known-good MAU between the PC and router. MAUs are small and inexpensive and are the usual way to connect single stations to a token ring router port.
  • On the router: ensure the interface is administratively up and the interface speed matches the card (4 vs 16 Mbps). Look for physical/log messages about the interface; the “Lobe test failed” message points to the ring/MAU/link not being completed.
  • Isolate the fault: try a different token-ring NIC or a different MAU, or swap cables. If the PC still reports “media disconnected,” the NIC/MAU connection is the prime suspect.

If those checks don’t fix it, gather and post the router’s interface status and recent syslog messages plus the PC’s adapter status. That information will let others point to the exact next steps. If obtaining token-ring hardware is difficult, the practical alternative is to run the PC over another available interface (Ethernet or serial/PPP) or swap in a router with an Ethernet port.

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Member Avatar for nagen

Hi,
PC Config
Win2000 PC with Token Ring Lan card, static ip def. gate
Straight through utp
Router Config, (cisco 2521, ios 11.2)
Ip Int token0, ring-speed 16, no shut
Router status: initializing, Lobe test failed, protocol down
PC status: media cable disconnected !!
still no communcation!

Member Avatar for w1r3sp33d

I don't know if I was the last person running token or not, but if I was you can have my title if you get this working. I assume you have RJ45 token ports? I avoided these and stuck with all "serial" connections.

For my ccie pod I ran 9 pin NIC's and 2504's with 9 pin connectors, I used a pair of IBM 8228's as "hubs" between each PC and the local router:

PC1 - MAU1 - router1 (p2p with ISDN backup) router2 - MAU2 - PC2

I still have it all so if you need me to fire up and test configs I can do it, but not on short notice.

As just a general note, Mcgraw Hill had an OLD series of books covering cisco routers, I bought the entire set for a buck a book a few years ago and it has lots of reference material to these old technologies that isn't on CCO anymore, it might be worth checking ebay and 99cent book stores for them.

Member Avatar for nagen

Thanks

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