Madge Smart 16/4 Ringnode 152-061-01 ISA Token Ring Network Card Intel

Madge Smart 16/4 Ringnode 152-061-01 ISA Token Ring Network Card Intel

The Madge Smart 16/4 Ringnode is an ISA-bus Token Ring network adapter card designed for installation in PC-compatible systems equipped with ISA or EISA expansion slots. Part number 152-061-01, it operates on Token Ring networks at both 4 Mbps and 16 Mbps, and features an Intel controller chipset. The card presents a 32-bit data path internally but runs on the ISA bus at 8 MHz, consistent with standard ISA architecture of its era.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: Madge Networks
• Product Family: Smart 16/4 Ringnode
• Part Number: 152-061-01
• Bus Interface: ISA (EISA-compatible slot)
• Network Standard: IEEE 802.5 Token Ring — 4 Mbps and 16 Mbps
• Controller Chipset: Intel (large BGA controller IC visible on PCB)
• Bracket Connectors: RJ-45 (UTP) and DB-9 (STP/Type 1)
• Bus Speed: 8 MHz (standard ISA)
• Form Factor: Full-length ISA expansion card
• Included: Card only — no software, cables, or accessories

Applications

Token Ring was IBM's primary local area network technology from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s, widely deployed in corporate IBM environments including systems running OS/2, DOS, and early Windows on IBM PC and PS/2 hardware. The Madge Smart 16/4 Ringnode line was one of the most well-regarded third-party Token Ring adapter families of the era, known for strong driver support and compatibility with IBM's Token Ring infrastructure including Multistation Access Units (MAUs). The dual RJ-45 and DB-9 connectors allow connection to both Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) and IBM Type 1 Shielded Twisted Pair cabling plants — the two dominant physical media used in Token Ring installations. By the late 1990s, Fast Ethernet had largely displaced Token Ring in new deployments, but these cards remain sought after for maintaining legacy IBM Token Ring networks still in operation, for OS/2 and DOS-era system restorations, and by vintage computing collectors. The ISA form factor places this card in the early-to-mid 1990s generation of PC expansion hardware.