Network topologies:

Network topology refersthe

tophysical and logical arrangement of nodes and
connections in a computing network. Physical topology describes the layout of
devices and cables, and logical topology describes the way in which data is
transmitted within the network.
Some types of network topologies are:
➢ Bus topology
➢ Ring topology
➢ Star topology
➢ Mesh topology
➢ Tree topology
 Bus topology:
Bus topology, also known as
line topology, is a type
of network topology in which
all devices in the network are
connected by one central
network cable or
coaxial cable. The single
cable, where all data is
transmitted between devices,
is referred to as the bus,
backbone, or trunk.
Advantages:

• It works well when you have a small network.

• It's the easiest network topology for connectingcomputers or
peripherals in a linear fashion.

Disadvantages:
•It is difficult to identify the problem if the whole network goes
down.
•It the main cable is damage, then the whole network fails.
Ring topology:
Ring topology is a type of
network topology in which
each device is connected to
two other devices on either
side. This forms a circular ring
of connected devices which
gives it its name. Data is
commonly transferred in one
direction along the ring,
known as a unidirectional
ring.
 Advantages:

• All data flows in one direction, reducing the chance of packet collisions.
• Data can transfer between workstations at high speeds.

Disadvantages:
• All data being transferred over the network must pass through each
workstation on the network, which can make it slower than a star topology.
• The entire network will be impacted if one workstation shuts down.
 Star topology:

Star topology is a type of

network topology in which
every device in the network is
individually connected to a
central node, known as the
switch or hub. When
represented visually, this
topology resembles a star
which gives it its name.
 Advantages:

• Easy to add another computer to the network.

• If one computer on the network fails, the rest of the network continues to
function normally.

Disadvantages:
• It may have a higher cost to implement, especially when using a switch or router
as the central network device.
• If the central computer, hub, or switch fails, the entire network goes down,
and all computers are disconnected from the network.
 Mesh topology:

Mesh topology is a type of

network topology in which all
devices in the network are
interconnected. In a mesh
topology, data can be
transmitted directly to the
device.
 Advantages:

• Manages high amounts of traffic, because multiple devices can transmit

data simultaneously.
• A failure of one device does not cause a break in the network or
transmission of data.

Disadvantages:
• The cost to implement is higher than other network topologies, making it a less
desirable option.
• Building and maintaining the topology is difficult and time consuming.
 Tree topology:

In computer networks, a tree topology is also known as a star bus

topology. It incorporates elements of both a bus topology and a star
topology. In the picture, if the main cable (trunk) between the two
star topology networks failed, those networks would be unable to
communicate with each other. However, computers on the same star
topology would still be able to communicate
 Advantages:
• Fault detection is easy in the tree topology as a fault in the
device can be traced up in the hierarchy to find out the faulty
device.
• Failure of a solo node will not disturb the other nodes.

Disadvantages:
• Since it is a combination of multiple topologies, it is somewhat difficult to install.
This is because it requires the hardware and software for both star and bus
topologies.
• The backbone cable connects all the star networks. If the backbone cable fails,

it can bring down the whole network.