Introduction to Networking and Data Communication
Network Topologies
By the end of the lesson you should be able to:
Describe bus, ring, and star topologies
state the advantages and disadvantages of each topology
Topology - refers to how the nodes of a network are connected.
Types of Topology
- star topology
- ring topology
- bus topology
Star Topology
This is where all cables for each computer is being connected directly to the server via a hub or a switch. This implies that for hosts to communicate they have to do so through the server
Advantages
- each computer has a direct line to the server hence communication is very fast
- when there is a fault on the wire linking the host and the server, there is no interference with the rest of the network i.e it is reliable.
- a node can be added or removed without interfering with the entire network i.e it scalable
- network management can be done centrally
Disadvantages
- failure of the central switch node may bring down the entire network
- more cabling is required hence expensive
Bus Topology
This is where is a single central trunk/cable/backbone/bus on which all the workstations are connected. Usually, the trunk/bus/backbone has a terminator on both ends to prevent signal loss.
Advantages
- new computers can be added without disrupting other computers
- installing a bus topology network is easy
- it is less costly
Disadvantages
- any fault/breakage along the backbone brings down the whole network
- determining the point of failure is very difficult
- since there is a high rate of collision during data transmission, very few computers can be connected to the network at a time
- every workstation can see all the data on the network
Ring Topology
it is where the workstations are set out in a ring using a cable. A token is usually passed along the ring from node to node and if the token is meant for a given node then it releases the information to the network
Advantages
- uses a shorter cable hence economical
- it easy to install
- it provides high speed unidirectional communication
Disadvantages
- if any computer breaks down, communication is hampered in the ring
Network Topologies Link