Network Topologies

Advantages of a Bus Topology

*Easy to connect a computer or peripheral to a linear bus. *Requires less cable length than mesh or star topologies. *It is cheaper than any other topologies.

Advantages of Star Topology

*Easy to install and reconfigure. *No disruptions to the network when connecting or removing devices. *Easy to detect faults and to remove parts. *Less expensive. *Includes robustness, that is, if one link fails, only that link is affected, other links remain active.

Advantages of Mesh Topology

*Eliminates traffic problems in links sharing. *If one link becomes unusable, it does not shut down the entire system. Redundant data storage. *It has privacy and security. * Fault identification and fault isolation easy.

Advantages of a Ring Topology

*It is relatively easy to install and reconfigure. &Easy to identify the problem if the entire network shuts down.

What is a Star Topology?

In local area networks where the star topology is used, each machine is connected to a central hub. The star topology allows each machine on the network to have a point to point connection to the central hub. All of the traffic which transverses the network passes through the central hub.

Tree Topology

________ Topology

Ring Topology

_________ Topology

Disadvantages of Star Topology

*If the hub fails, the whole system is dead. *If the hub, switch, or concentrator fails, nodes attached are disabled. *Requires more cable length than a bus topology. *More expensive than bus topologies because of the cost of the hubs, etc.

Disadvantages of a Bus Topology

*If the network cable breaks, the entire network will be down. *Terminators are required at both ends of the backbone cable. *Difficult to identify the problem if the entire network shuts down. *Not meant to be used as a stand-alone solution in a large building. *Include difficult reconnection and fault isolation. *The managing cost of network is too high. *Addition of new devices requires modification or replacement of the backbone.

Disadvantages of Mesh Topology

*Installation and re-connection of nodes are difficult. *The hardware required to connect each link (I/O ports and cable) is expensive. *It is generally too costly and complex for practical networks redundant data storage.

Disadvantages of a Ring Topology

*Only one machine can transmit on the network at a time. · *The failure of one machine will cause the entire network to fail.

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.

Advantages of a Tree Topology

*Point-to-point wiring for individual segments. *Supported by several hardware and software vendors.

Disadvantages of a Hybrid Topology

1) Complexity of Design: One of the biggest drawback of hybrid topology is its design. Its not easy to design this type of architecture and its a tough job for designers. Configuration and installation process needs to be very efficient. 2) Costly Hub: The hubs used to connect two distinct networks, are very expensive. These hubs are different from usual hubs as they need to be intelligent enough to work with different architectures and should be function even if a part of network is down. 3) Costly Infrastructure: As hybrid architectures are usually larger in scale, they require a lot of cables, cooling systems, sophisticate network devices, etc.

Advantages of a Hybrid Topology

1) Reliable : Unlike other networks, fault detection and troubleshooting is easy in this type of topology. The part in which fault is detected can be isolated from the rest of network and required corrective measures can be taken, WITHOUT affecting the functioning of rest of the network. 2) Scalable: Its easy to increase the size of network by adding new components, without disturbing existing architecture. 3) Flexible: Hybrid Network can be designed according to the requirements of the organization and by optimizing the available resources. Special care can be given to nodes where traffic is high as well as where chances of fault are high.

Bus Topology

_____________ Topology

Backbone

A bus topology network has a cable as a ______________ to network the nodes.

What is a network topology?

The term physical topology refers to the way in which a network is laid out physically. It refers to the configuration of cables, computers, and other peripherals.

What is a Tree Topology?

The type of network topology in which a central 'root' node (the top level of the hierarchy) is connected to one or more other nodes that are one level lower in the hierarchy (i.e., the second level) with a point-to-point link between each of the second level nodes and the top level central 'root' node, while each of the second level nodes that are connected to the top level central 'root' node will also have one or more other nodes that are one level lower in the hierarchy

Hybrid Topology

______ Topology

Star Topology

_______ Topology

Hierarchical Star Topology

________ Topology

Mesh Topology

________ Topology

What is a Mesh Topology?

In a mesh topology, every device has a dedicated point-to-point link to every other device. The term dedicated means that the link carries traffic only between the two devices it connects.

What is a 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.). A hybrid topology is always produced when two different basic network topologies are connected. Generally found in a WAN networking environment.

What is a Bus Topology?

In local area networks where bus technology is used, each machine is connected to a long, single cable. The cable acts as a backbone to link all the devices in a network. Each computer or server is connected to the single bus cable through drop lines and some kind of connector. A terminator is required at each end of the bus cable to prevent the signal from bouncing back and forth on the bus cable.

What is a Ring Topology?

In local area networks where the ring topology is used, each computer is connected to the network in a closed loop or ring. The signal passes through each machine or computer connected to the ring in one direction, from device to device, until it reaches its destination. Each machines or computers connected to the ring act as signal boosters or repeaters.