• A token ring network uses a token-passing access method. A token is small packet that move clockwise in a circle from node to node. Only one free or unused token is available per network; a node cannot transmit until it has the token.
• When the node is ready to transmit, it intercepts the token, adds data and the destination node’s address, and then sends the token on to the next node. The token moves from node to node around the network until it reaches the destination node, which intercepts the token and sends an acknowledgment back to the originating node.