can ethernet and token ring talk to each other?

[slugsnail2]

i've just purchased two 2500 routers - one has a token ring interface (2504) and the other has an ethernet (2501).

my question is can you buy an ethernet aui for the token ring interface or some kind of converter that will enable an ip host to talk via ethernet.

any suggestions much appreciated. i hope these two platforms/network types aren't mutually exclusive!

[Georg Pauwen]

Hello,

you could connect both routers with their serial interfaces in a back-to-back configuration and then run DLSw for Token Ring to Ethernet communication.

Have a look at this document:

Configuring DLSw Token Ring to Ethernet

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/partner/tech/tk331/tk336/technologies_configuration_example09186a0080093ecd.shtml

HTH,

Georg

[Richard Burts]

I think to answer your question we should differentiate whether you are asking for communication at layer 2 or at layer 3. Your reference to an ip host makes me think that you may be wanting layer 3 communication. This is easy and I think that Georg's answer is on the right track - a back to back connection will work and you do not even need DLSW, just IP routing.

If you are asking for layer 2 communication it is much more difficult. At layer 2 Ethernet and Token Ring pose numerous challenges: framing is significantly different, interpretation of most significant bits in the MAC address are different, the frame size in Token Ring is potentially much larger than it is in Ethernet. So to accomplish layer 2 communication you would need something like DLSW to translate between the protocol differences. (DLSW will not translate Ethernet to Token Ring on the same router but does translate very well between two routers.)