trunk

The term trunk, which stands for trunk or string, is used in different contexts: In Ethernet, Token Ring and in broadband networks.

1. In historical Ethernet, it refers to the yellow cable. In Ethernet, this term was also used in the past for the parallel connection of several Ethernet links in large Ethernet networks. Recently, the term linkaggregation has been used for this parallel connection.
2. In Token Ring, a trunk is the connection between two distribution points. The connection from the distribution point to the end device, on the other hand, is handled by the lobe cable.
3. In broadband networks, the trunk is the main supply cable. It goes to and from the head-end station. The trunk cable is a high- performance, broadband coaxial cable with a diameter of one to two centimeters. The outer layer forms a solid plastic jacket, with an aluminum layer underneath. Within this aluminum sheathing, the power supply for the active components can be inserted. This allows the number of required stable supplies to be reduced to the feed points.
4. In frame relay, a trunk is the connection between two frame relay switches.
5. In software development, a trunk forms the base code from which a branch is used for further development. A branch is essentially a copy of the original. It can be used for further development while the original code remains unchanged. Depending on the application, the changes in the branch can be incorporated into the trunk.