NETWORK TOPOLOGY

TYPES AND CHARACTERISTICS

Network Topology
The network topology defines the

way in which computers, printers, and other devices are connected. A network topology describes the layout of the wire and devices as well as the paths used by data transmissions.

TYPES OF NETWORK TOPOLOGY

BUS TOPOLOGY STAR TOPOLOGY

MESH TOPOLOGY
RING TOPOLOGY HYBRID TOPOLOGY TREE TOPOLOGY

Bus Topology
Commonly referred to as a linear bus, all the devices on a bus

topology are connected by one single cable.

Each node is daisy-chained (connected one right after the

other) along the same backbone. Information sent from a node travels along the backbone until it reaches its destination node.

Characteristics of Bus topology:

Failure of the medium disrupts

communication. Failure of devices doesnt eect the communication (passive interface). There is a limit on the length of the network (devices dont amplify/repeat the signal). The propagation delay isnt eected by the number of devices.

RING Topology
A frame travels around the ring, stopping at each

node. If a node wants to transmit data, it adds the data as well as the destination address to the frame. The token along with any data is sent from the first node to the second node which extracts the data addressed to it and adds any data it wishes to send

TYPES OF RING
Single ring All the devices on the network share a single cable Dual ring The dual ring topology allows data to be sent in both directions

STAR Topology
The star topology is the most commonly

used architecture in Ethernet LANs. In a star network, each node is connected to a central device called a hub. The hub takes a signal that comes from any node and passes it along to all the other nodes in the network. A hub does not perform any type of filtering or routing of the data. A hub is a junction that joins all the different nodes together.

 In a star network, each node is connected to a central

device called a hub. The hub takes a signal that comes from any node and passes it along to all the other nodes in the network.

TREE Topology
Tree Topology is the extended version of the

Star topology. Larger networks use the extended star topology also called tree topology.

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

Advantages of a Tree Topology Point-to-point wiring for individual segments. Supported by several hardware and software venders. Disadvantages of a Tree Topology Overall length of each segment is limited by the type of cabling used. If the backbone line breaks, the entire segment goes down. More difficult to configure and wire than other topologies.

MESH Topology
Mesh topology is also known as FULLY

CONNECTED TOPOLGY. In mesh topology each node is connected with all other nodes

HYBRID Topology
Hybrid networks use a combination of any two or more

topologies in such a way that the resulting network does not exhibit one of the standard topologies (e.g., bus, star, ring, etc.). For example, a tree network connected to a tree network is still a tree network topology. A hybrid topology is always produced when two different basic network topologies are connected. Two common examples for Hybrid network are: star ring network and star bus network

 A Star ring network consists of two or more star

topologies connected using a multistation access unit (MAU) as a centralized hub. A Star Bus network consists of two or more star topologies connected using a bus.