Chapter 3: Network Topologies and Technologies
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TrynaBeGreatChapter 3: Network Topologies and Technologies
Uploaded by
TrynaBeGreatChapter 3: Network Topologies and
Technologies
Objectives
• Describe the primary physical • Describe the primary logical • Describe the major LAN
networking topologies in networking topologies in networking technologies
common use common use
Physical Topologies
• Describes the lay of the land
• A network topology describes how a network is physically laid out and how signals travel from one
device to another
• Since the physical layout of the devices and cables doesn’t describe how signals travel from one device
to another, they are broken down into physical and logical topologies
• The arrangement of cabling and how cables connect one device to another in a network is considered
the network’s physical topology
• The path data travels between computers on a network is considered the network’s logical topology
• All network designs today are based on these basic physical topologies: bus, star, ring, and point-to-
point
Physical Bus Topology
• Physical bus topology is the simplest and once was the most common
method for connecting computers – Defined as a continuous length of
cable connecting one computer to another in daisychain fashion
• There’s a limit of 30 computers per cable segment
• The maximum total length of cabling is 185 meters
• Both ends of the bus must be terminated
• Any break in the bus brings down the entire network
• Adding or removing a machine brings down the entire network temporarily
• Technologies using this topology are limited to 10 Mbps half-duplex communication since they use
coaxial cabling
Due to the limitations, this topology is no longer a practical choice and technology has moved past this
obsolete method of connecting computer
