Individual Assignment

Name of the Programme

Name of the Participant

Email
 Table of contents

1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………. 01

2. PHYSICAL TOPOLOGIES AND TYPES………………………………….. 02 - 05

2.1. Star Topology…………………………………………………………….. 03

2.2. Tree Topology……………………………………………………………. 03 - 04

2.3. Mesh Topology…………………………………………………………… 04

2.4. Hybrid Topology………………………………………………………..... 05

3. LOGICAL TOPOLOGIES …………………………………....................... 05 - 06

4. PHYSICAL AND LOGICAL TOPOLOGIES COMMON TYPES………. 06 - 09

4.1. Bus Topology……………………………………………………………... 06 - 08

4.2. Ring Topology……………………………………………………………. 08 - 09

5. WIRELESS TOPOLOGIES ………………………………………………… 09 - 13

5.1. Infrastructure Wireless Topology …….………………………………... 10

5.2. AD Hoc Topology………………………………………………………… 11

5.3. Wireless Mesh Topology………………..……………………………….. 12 - 13

6. REFERENCES…………………………………………………..………….... 13
1. INTRODUCTION

Topology is a layout of how the network communicates with different devices. And there are two
different types of topology. It is the arrangement of the various components such as nodes, links,
and devices of a network and how they interact. It can be used to define the organization of various
tele-communications networks, including computer networks, command and control radio
networks, and industrial field gateways.

The network topology supports network visualization, device monitoring, and diagnostics of
problems in the network. Network: In computing, a network refers to an arrangement of two or
more computers, devices, or nodes that communicate with each other through a wireless or wired
connection.

Topology: The way nodes interact in a network is topology, which manages the flow of data
between those nodes. The word "topology" comes from the Greek:

Topo = Location

Logy = Research

Example: Assuming a city is a computer network, its route might be topology. You can design
cities in different ways with different orientations for roads so that important parts of the city are
easily accessible by roads.

Topology refers to how computers are connected in a network, sharing information. And network
topology is how computers are logically or physically arranged to share information, for different
purposes.

Today, there is a topology known as wired and wireless. In network topology, there are two ways
to connect nodes - logically and physically.

Network performance is an important aspect of organizational efficiency and network topology is

1
2. PHYSICAL TOPOLOGIES AND TYPES

Topology is the organized revolution. Any structure that is interconnected in a local area network
(LAN) is called a physical topology. The revolution that is physically established is called a
physical topology. It acts as a map that allows different devices to connect to each other. It covers
the method used to network physical devices with cables and the type of cable used to connect the
devices.

The following points describe the importance of physical topology.

Network routing is done through network cables. If the nodes are not shared, the routes are not
well established.

The dataset is created with better quality control and integrity of the data in the topology. The
dataset is validated, and errors are easily detected in the topology. This helps with good data
management. Dataset integration is important for data management.

Relationships between topologies are easily discovered and features are shared with each topology
type. Modified dataset and updated features with other datasets. All data sets are synchronized
with each other, which helps with other features. Systems and equipment are kept close together
using a topology because cables and features are tied together. Connecting systems together helps
to manage the network and this manages the systems in the entire topology. The systems are
permanently connected to each other.

The network works well with the physical topology. The type of media to use can be easily found
in the topology. All cables and media types are defined and functions better with the topology as
it connects to the network. This topology helps the system work well because the network is
interconnected.

Operation and maintenance costs are reduced when we use topology. With the help of different
topologies, the cost is reduced as we can choose the topology according to the requirement and
performance. This keeps the topology well-maintained and the users well-maintained with the
topology.

Resources and components are leveraged and well used with topology. Performance is better when
topology is used, and it keeps the system and network good when connected.

2
2.1.Star Topology

In a star topology, all computers are connected to a central wiring point. Such as a hub or a switch.
All data in the Star network passes through this central point before continuing on to its destination.

One of the main advantages of this topology is that if one computer fails or the cable breaks, the
other computers will not be affected because each computer has its own cable connection.

However, one drawback of star topology is that if the hub or hub switch fails, all the computers at
that hub will be affected. This is called a single point of failure. If this happens, the entire network
will go down.

2.2. Tree Topology

3
Tree topology is similar to star-bus topology. Tree Topology or star-bus topology is a
hybrid network topology in which star networks are interconnected via bus networks. Tree
networks are associative, and each node can have an unpredictable number of child nodes.

2.3. Mesh Topology

In a mesh topology, each computer on the network is connected to every other computer on the
networks by having so many connections it handles failure very well. In this illustration there are
four computers with three connections on each computer, which makes a total of 12 connections
for this network.

The advantage of a mesh topology is that it creates a high redundancy level. Because if one or
more connections fail, the computers would still be able to communicate with each other. But
because of the amount of cabling and network cards that must be used, mesh topologies can be
expensive. So, they are rarely used on local area networks or LANs.

They are mainly used on wide area networks, like the internet. In fact, the internet is a good
example of a mesh topology. Because the internet is made up of numerous routers, all over the
world that are connected to each other to route data to their intended destination. So even if a few
routers go down, the data will get refuted using a different path to ultimately reach their destination.
So, the internet is very redundant because it uses a mesh topology.

4
 2.4. Hybrid Topology

More than two topologies are connected in this topology. Any canonical topology is not
distinguished here as all other topologies are connected. When two topologies are connected, a
hybrid topology is formed. This topology is flexible, and we can adapt it to our needs. The design
of the topology is complex, and this topology is the most expensive.

3. LOGICAL TOPOLOGIES

Logical topology refers to the network protocols used to control the flow of data on the network.
The Ethernet protocol is the most used protocol for logical topology.

The logical topology is used to determine the appropriate channel for data transmission and to
maintain the network. The logical topology is used to create a path for sending signals across the
network. It uses network protocols that define packet forwarding paths. The most common
example of a network protocol is the Ethernet protocol. The Ethernet protocol defines the logical
path for the communication of various switches and nodes present in the network and sends packets
across the network. It can be used to design network structures. It can be thought of as a network
plan and can help physically implement the network in a physical topology. The plan covers all

5
the nodes and switches that will participate in the network and how data will travel through the
network.

It helps to create the blueprint of the network. It helps to design the network and tells the structure
of a network. Using the logical topology, the network can be implemented by using the physical
topology. It helps to design the initial structure of the network and if any change is where it can be
done before implementing the network physically.

4. PHYSICAL AND LOGICAL TOPOLOGIES COMMON TYPES

4.1.Bus Topology

The bus topology is very old technology and like the ring topology, it's not used today that much.

This is the kind of network setup where each of the computers and network devices, are connected
to a single cable or backbone. And this backbone is a coaxial cable.

The computers connect to this cable using special connectors called BNC, which are also known
as T connectors.

6
One of the advantages of bus topology is that it is also fairly cheap and easy to implement. Also it
is easy to create and the devices can be connected to the bus easily. These topologies is very
effective when the network size is small. The large network will contain many nodes which can
create a problem to maintain the network and can increase the chance of network failure. So the
bus topology is effective for the small size of the network. The network created by the bus topology
is very reliable and the network can be easily maintained. The setup cost for bus topology is very
less as the length of the wire is small because all nodes are connected to the bus which decreases
the network cost. The other network device can be easily connected to the bus like connectors and
repeater. The only requirement is joining cable which will join an external device to the bus.

However, a disadvantage of the bus topology is that it requires that the cable is terminated at both
ends using terminators.

For this setup to remain operational, there must not be any open connections, including the ends
that attach to the computers. So, if a computer is removed or if the terminators are loose or missing,
then the cable would be open and data would bounce back. This bounce is known as "signal
reflection" and if this happens data flow would be disrupted. The performance results of bus
topology are least if it is compared to other network topologies. As all the nodes are connected to
one single cable and if that single cable goes down the whole network will go down. This creates
a major risk of network failure in case of bus topology. The packet collisions problem is there in
bus topology. Due to packet collisions, the packet loss issue occurred which creates problems in
data communication in a network.

7
The bus topology is the type of logical topology in which all the nodes and switches are connected
to only one single cable which can be also known as backbone or bus. The nodes are connected
like half-duplex mode. In the bus topology, there is a host which is known as a station. The bus
topology has multiple stations that have the capability to receive the network traffic and also have
equal priority to transmit the network traffic in the network. And in the bus topology, the network
is controlled by bus master which can be CSMA (carrier sense multiple access). In the bus
topology, if any single segment goes down the whole network can be affected due to node failure.

4.2.Ring Topology

Another type of topology is called ring.

The Ring topology is a type of network configuration where each computer is connected to each
other in the shape of a closed loop or ring. So every computer on this ring has exactly two neighbors
for communication purposes.

Each data accept is sent around the ring until it reaches its final destination. This kind of topology
is rarely used today.

The advantage of ring topology is that they are easy to install and easy to troubleshoot. The ring
topology is effective for heavy traffic load compares to bus topology. The network congestion is

8
not there in a ring topology. Every node is responsible to transmit the data packets or adjacent
nodes. There is no central node in the ring topology which controls the network.

However, the disadvantage would be that if just one of these computers goes down or if there was
a single break in the cable, then all data flow would be disrupted. If any node goes down the whole
network is failed in the ring topology because the connection is the break. The new device cannot
be added or removed from the network.

The ring topology is another type of logical topology in which all the nodes are connected in such
a manner that they form a circular path. Every node in the circular path is connected to two nodes.
In this type of topology, when any source node sends any data packet it gets transferred from each
node until the destination node is reached. The data packets can flow in two directions in ring
topology either unidirectional or bidirectional. The ring topology is mostly used in Wide Area
Network (WANs) and Local Area Network (LANs).

5. WIRELESS TOPOLOGIES

The topology of a wireless network is simply the way network components are arranged. It
describes both the physical layout of devices, routers, and gateways, and the paths that data follows
between them.

9
 5.1. Infrastructure Wireless Topology

This topology uses a combination of wired and wireless devices. This is very similar to a Star
topology, where we have wired devices, such as those computers physically connected to a switch.
And also have a wireless access point that also connected by a cable to same switch. The wireless
access point is here so that wireless devices such as laptops, tablets, cell phones etc can connect
wirelessly to the network. So the wireless access point acts like a bridge between the wireless
network and the wired network.

Now the infrastructure topology is not limited to a single wireless access point. In fact can have
multiple wireless access points if you want. It just depends on the needs of the network.

10
 5.2 AD Hoc Topology

AD HOC is a very simple wireless topology. It is simple because it doesn't rely on any
infrastructures such as cables, routers, servers or WAP (Wireless Access Point) points.

All the devices in an AD HOC network, wirelessly connect to other devices in a simple peer to
peer network. They directly connect to each other without using a centralized device, such as a
Wi-Fi router or access point. And because they directly access each other without a server or router
in between, each device is responsible for its own security and permissions.

AD HOCs are useful for setting up a quick wireless network on the fly, where devices can share
data without the need of an existing wireless network.

11
 5.3. Wireless Mesh Topology

Wireless mesh topologies are like wired mesh topologies, where devices are interconnected with
each other, but with the exception that they are wirelessly interconnected. So for an example, let's
say you wanted to deploy multiple wireless access points all throughout a building so that wireless
devices that are indifferent areas are able to access the internet.

So normally you would have a modern that brings in the internet to the building, and then you
would also have a switch that's connected to the modem. And then you would connect each
wireless access point with a cable to the switch. So, by doing it this way, this requires extra cabling
and it would also require extra time running the cables through the building. So, this is more
expensive and more time consuming. Now a wireless mesh topology would be similar to this setup,
but without the need of these extra cables. In a wireless mesh, each wireless access point with talk
to other wireless access points to create a seamless internet connection for wireless devices to
connect to. So if this laptop over here wanted to access the internet it would connect to the nearest
wireless access point and then this access point will would relay the connection to the next access
point and then to the next one and eventually find its way back to the modem. So no matter which

12
access point that you are re connected to, you will have internet access because all the access points
are in constant communication with each other and the modem. And even if one or more access
points were to fail, it wouldn't matter, because the other access points will reroute the data.

So wireless mesh topology is very redundant because the internet connection is spread out over
many wireless access points.

6. REFERENCES

I. O’Leary, L. I., & O’Leary, L. I. (2005b). Computing Essentials 2005. McGraw-Hill

Education.

II. Plumley, S. (2004, February 20). Home Networking Bible (2nd ed.). Wiley.

III. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305472494_A_Review-

Analysis_of_Network_Topologies_for_Microenterprises

IV. https://www.nature.com/subjects/network-topology

13