IBM 8272-108 8-Port Token Ring LAN Switch 13H9183 FRU 13H9184 100-240V Rackmount

IBM 8272-108 8-Port Token Ring LAN Switch 13H9183 FRU 13H9184 100-240V Rackmount

The IBM 8272-108 is an 8-port Token Ring LAN switch designed for structured Token Ring network environments. It provides dedicated bandwidth switching across its eight RJ-45 ports, allowing multiple Token Ring devices or ring segments to communicate with reduced collision and contention compared to shared-media hubs. This is a 1U rackmount unit with dual internal cooling fans and wide-range AC power input, making it compatible with both North American and international power standards.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: IBM
• Model / Type: 8272-108
• Part Number (P/N): 13H9183
• FRU Part Number: 13H9184
• Network Technology: Token Ring (IEEE 802.5)
• Number of Ports: 8
• Port Connectors: RJ-45
• Form Factor: 1U Rackmount
• Power Input: 100-120V / 200-240V AC, 50/60Hz
• Input Current: 2.0A (100-120V) / 1.0A (200-240V)
• Cooling: Dual internal fans (rear-mounted)
• Front panel: Power/status LEDs, serial management port (DB-9), power inlet (IEC C14)
• Unit only — no cables or accessories included

Applications

Token Ring was IBM's proprietary LAN standard, introduced in 1984 and formalized as IEEE 802.5, that competed with Ethernet throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. Unlike Ethernet's contention-based access, Token Ring used a deterministic token-passing protocol that guaranteed orderly access to the network medium — a property valued in industrial, banking, and government environments where predictable latency mattered. The IBM 8272 series of Token Ring switches replaced older multi-station access units (MAUs/MSAUs) by providing dedicated switched bandwidth per port rather than a shared ring, giving each connected device its own collision domain and substantially improving throughput in busy segments. These switches were commonly deployed in IBM-centric enterprise environments running OS/2, AIX, or early AS/400 network integrations, and in data centers that had standardized on SNA (Systems Network Architecture) over Token Ring backbones. By the mid-to-late 1990s, Fast Ethernet largely displaced Token Ring in new installations, making surviving Token Ring switching hardware like the 8272-108 relevant today primarily for legacy network maintenance, IBM midrange system support, museum/historical preservation, and collectors of vintage IBM networking equipment.