Name – Shoib Ahmad

Course – BCA
Year/Sem – 3rd/5th
Enrollment no. – 2100100695
Roll no. - 2101018326
Submitted to – Mohd. Suhaib Kidwai

Q1. Explain the types of network topology and types of network topologies
along with its diagram.
Ans. In Computer Network, there are various ways through which different
components are connected to one another. Network Topology is the way that
defines the structure, and how these components are connected to each other.
Types of Network Topology
The arrangement of a network that comprises nodes and connecting lines via
sender and receiver is referred to as Network Topology. The various network
topologies are:
• Point to Point Topology
• Mesh Topology
• Star Topology
• Bus Topology
• Ring Topology
• Tree Topology
• Hybrid Topology

Point to Point Topology

Point-to-Point Topology is a type of topology that works on the functionality of
the sender and receiver. It is the simplest communication between two nodes,
in which one is the sender and the other one is the receiver. Point-to-Point
provides high bandwidth.

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 Point to Point Topology

Mesh Topology
In a mesh topology, every device is connected to another device via a particular
channel. In Mesh Topology, the protocols used are AHCP (Ad Hoc Configuration
Protocols), DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), etc.

Mesh Topology
Figure 1: Every device is connected to another via dedicated channels. These
channels are known as links.
Suppose, the N number of devices are connected with each other in a mesh
topology, the total number of ports that are required by each device is N-1. In
Figure 1, there are 5 devices connected to each other, hence the total number
of ports required by each device is 4. The total number of ports required = N *
(N-1).
Suppose, N number of devices are connected with each other in a mesh
topology, then the total number of dedicated links required to connect them
is NC2 i.e. N(N-1)/2. In Figure 1, there are 5 devices connected to each other,
hence the total number of links required is 5*4/2 = 10.

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 Advantages of Mesh Topology
• Communication is very fast between the nodes.
• Mesh Topology is robust.
• The fault is diagnosed easily. Data is reliable because data is transferred
among the devices through dedicated channels or links.
• Provides security and privacy.
• Drawbacks of Mesh Topology
• Installation and configuration are difficult.
• The cost of cables is high as bulk wiring is required, hence suitable for
less number of devices.
• The cost of maintenance is high.
A common example of mesh topology is the internet backbone, where various
internet service providers are connected to each other via dedicated channels.
This topology is also used in military communication systems and aircraft
navigation systems.

Star Topology
In Star Topology, all the devices are connected to a single hub through a cable.
This hub is the central node and all other nodes are connected to the central
node. The hub can be passive in nature i.e., not an intelligent hub such as
broadcasting devices, at the same time the hub can be intelligent known as an
active hub. Active hubs have repeaters in them. Coaxial cables or RJ-45 cables
are used to connect the computers. In Star Topology, many popular Ethernet
LAN protocols are used as CD(Collision Detection), CSMA (Carrier Sense
Multiple Access), etc.

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 Star Topology
Figure 2: A star topology having four systems connected to a single point of
connection i.e. hub.
Advantages of Star Topology
• If N devices are connected to each other in a star topology, then the
number of cables required to connect them is N. So, it is easy to set up.
• Each device requires only 1 port i.e. to connect to the hub, therefore the
total number of ports required is N.
• It is Robust. If one link fails only that link will affect and not other than
that.
• Easy to fault identification and fault isolation.
• Star topology is cost-effective as it uses inexpensive coaxial cable.

Drawbacks of Star Topology

• If the concentrator (hub) on which the whole topology relies fails, the
whole system will crash down.
• The cost of installation is high.
• Performance is based on the single concentrator i.e. hub.
A common example of star topology is a local area network (LAN) in an office
where all computers are connected to a central hub. This topology is also used
in wireless networks where all devices are connected to a wireless access point.

Bus Topology
Bus Topology is a network type in which every computer and network device is
connected to a single cable. It is bi-directional. It is a multi-point connection
and a non-robust topology because if the backbone fails the topology crashes.
In Bus Topology, various MAC (Media Access Control) protocols are followed by
LAN ethernet connections like TDMA, Pure Aloha, CDMA, Slotted Aloha, etc.

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 Bus Topology
Figure 3: A bus topology with shared backbone cable. The nodes are connected
to the channel via drop lines.
Advantages of Bus Topology
• If N devices are connected to each other in a bus topology, then the
number of cables required to connect them is 1, known as backbone
cable, and N drop lines are required.
• Coaxial or twisted pair cables are mainly used in bus-based networks
that support up to 10 Mbps.
• The cost of the cable is less compared to other topologies, but it is used
to build small networks.
• Bus topology is familiar technology as installation and troubleshooting
techniques are well known.
• CSMA is the most common method for this type of topology.
Drawbacks of Bus Topology
• A bus topology is quite simpler, but still, it requires a lot of cabling.
• If the common cable fails, then the whole system will crash down.
• If the network traffic is heavy, it increases collisions in the network. To
avoid this, various protocols are used in the MAC layer known as Pure
Aloha, Slotted Aloha, CSMA/CD, etc.
• Adding new devices to the network would slow down networks.
• Security is very low.
• A common example of bus topology is the Ethernet LAN, where all
devices are connected to a single coaxial cable or twisted pair cable. This
topology is also used in cable television networks. For more, refer to
the Advantages and Disadvantages of Bus Topology.

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 Ring Topology
In a Ring Topology, it forms a ring connecting devices with exactly two
neighbouring devices. A number of repeaters are used for Ring topology with a
large number of nodes, because if someone wants to send some data to the
last node in the ring topology with 100 nodes, then the data will have to pass
through 99 nodes to reach the 100th node. Hence to prevent data loss
repeaters are used in the network.
The data flows in one direction, i.e. it is unidirectional, but it can be made
bidirectional by having 2 connections between each Network Node, it is
called Dual Ring Topology. In-Ring Topology, the Token Ring Passing protocol is
used by the workstations to transmit the data.

Ring Topology
The most common access method of ring topology is token passing.
Token passing: It is a network access method in which a token is passed from
one node to another node.
Token: It is a frame that circulates around the network.
Operations of Ring Topology
One station is known as a monitor station which takes all the responsibility for
performing the operations.

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 To transmit the data, the station has to hold the token. After the transmission is
done, the token is to be released for other stations to use.
When no station is transmitting the data, then the token will circulate in the
ring.
There are two types of token release techniques: Early token release releases
the token just after transmitting the data and Delayed token release releases
the token after the acknowledgment is received from the receiver.
Advantages of Ring Topology
• The data transmission is high-speed.
• The possibility of collision is minimum in this type of topology.
• Cheap to install and expand.
• It is less costly than a star topology.
• Drawbacks of Ring Topology
• The failure of a single node in the network can cause the entire network
to fail.
• Troubleshooting is difficult in this topology.
• The addition of stations in between or the removal of stations can
disturb the whole topology.
• Less secure.

Tree Topology
This topology is the variation of the Star topology. This topology has a
hierarchical flow of data. In Tree Topology, protocols like DHCP and SAC
(Standard Automatic Configuration) are used.

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 Tree Topology
Figure 5: In this, the various secondary hubs are connected to the central hub
which contains the repeater. This data flow from top to bottom i.e. from the
central hub to the secondary and then to the devices or from bottom to top i.e.
devices to the secondary hub and then to the central hub. It is a multi-point
connection and a non-robust topology because if the backbone fails the
topology crashes.
Advantages of Tree Topology
• It allows more devices to be attached to a single central hub thus it
decreases the distance that is travelled by the signal to come to the
devices.
• It allows the network to get isolated and also prioritize from different
computers.
• We can add new devices to the existing network.
• Error detection and error correction are very easy in a tree topology.
Drawbacks of Tree Topology
• If the central hub gets fails the entire system fails.
• The cost is high because of the cabling.
• If new devices are added, it becomes difficult to reconfigure.
A common example of a tree topology is the hierarchy in a large organization.
At the top of the tree is the CEO, who is connected to the different
departments or divisions (child nodes) of the company. Each department has
its own hierarchy, with managers overseeing different teams (grandchild
nodes). The team members (leaf nodes) are at the bottom of the hierarchy,
connected to their respective managers and departments.

Hybrid Topology
This topological technology is the combination of all the various types of
topologies we have studied above. Hybrid Topology is used when the nodes are
free to take any form. It means these can be individuals such as Ring or Star
topology or can be a combination of various types of topologies seen above.
Each individual topology uses the protocol that has been discussed earlier.

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 Hybrid Topology
Figure 6: The above figure shows the structure of the Hybrid topology. As seen
it contains a combination of all different types of networks.
Advantages of Hybrid Topology
• This topology is very flexible.
• The size of the network can be easily expanded by adding new devices.
• Drawbacks of Hybrid Topology
• It is challenging to design the architecture of the Hybrid Network.
• Hubs used in this topology are very expensive.
• The infrastructure cost is very high as a hybrid network requires a lot of
cabling and network devices.
A common example of a hybrid topology is a university campus network. The
network may have a backbone of a star topology, with each building connected
to the backbone through a switch or router. Within each building, there may be
a bus or ring topology connecting the different rooms and offices. The wireless
access points also create a mesh topology for wireless devices. This hybrid
topology allows for efficient communication between different buildings while
providing flexibility and redundancy within each building.

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