What does TR mean in NETWORKING

Token Ring is an IEEE 802.5 computer network protocol for connecting computers on a closed loop Local Area Network (LAN). It was developed by IBM Corporation as an alternative to the older Ethernet technology and works by sending special tokens from one node to the next along the ring.

A Token Ring works by having each device in the network pass control packets called "tokens" to each other in turn. The nodes are connected together via copper cables, similar to Ethernet networks. When a node receives a token it has permission to send its data onto the token storage area of other nodes on the ring before using their own access links out of this shared storage area.

One advantage of Token Ring is that it can be used with higher speed connections than Ethernets (10Mbps vs 100Mbps for Ethernets). Its flow control mechanism also helps minimize collisions and provides greater overall network reliability than Ethernet systems. Additionally, since only one device can transmit at any given time, there's less contention between devices vying for bandwidth which results in improved data throughput compared to Ethernet networks.

One downside is that it has high hardware costs when compared to other LAN protocols such as Ethernet and Wi-Fi due to its reliance on specialized hardware such as IBM's "Closed Loop" NICs which are not compatible with most modern PC hardware. Furthermore, troubleshooting issues can be challenging due to lack of troubleshooting tools available for this proprietary IBM protocol.