HP J2166-61003 Token Ring Interface Board for Series 800

Product Description

The HP J2166-61003 is a specialized network interface card (NIC) that provides connectivity to a Token Ring network. Token Ring was a popular local area networking (LAN) technology developed by IBM, characterized by its ring topology and token-passing access method, which ensured deterministic access to the network medium. This interface board is specifically designed to integrate with Hewlett-Packard's Series 800 line of networking hardware, allowing these systems to participate in a Token Ring environment. This board functions as the physical and data link layer interface for the Token Ring protocol. It translates data packets from the host system into the format required for transmission over the Token Ring network and processes incoming data from the network, passing it up to higher network layers. The J2166-61003 would have been used in environments where Token Ring was the chosen networking standard, often in enterprise settings that valued its reliability and predictable performance characteristics. As a component for the HP Series 800, this interface board is engineered to meet the specific requirements of that platform, ensuring compatibility and optimal performance within the HP ecosystem. Its presence indicates a need for legacy network connectivity, likely in older infrastructure or specialized industrial applications where Token Ring might still be in use. The part number J2166-61003 uniquely identifies this specific revision or configuration of the Token Ring interface board.