NETWORK

TOPOLOGY
TOPOLOGY - INTRODUCTION

 Physical and logical layout of nodes on a

network.
 Node refers to Computer and other device on a
network
 Describes the path or paths between any two points
in the network
 Affects availability, speed and traffic c ongestion of the
network.
TYPES OF TOPOLOGIES
 Two main topologies:
 Physical topology - actual layout of the computer cables
and other network devices.
 Actual layout of the network wiring.
 Logical topology : refers to the way in which the network
appears to the devices that use it.
 Operational relationship between the various network
components.
LOGICAL TOPOLOGY VS. PHYSICAL TOPOLOGY

 Logical topology, or signal topology, is the

arrangement of devices on a computer network and
how they communicate with one another.
 How devices are connected to the network through
the actual cables that transmit data, or the physical
structure of the network, is called the physical
topology.
LOGICAL TOPOLOGY VS. PHYSICAL TOPOLOGY

Physical topology defines how the systems are

physically connected. It represents the physical
layout of the devices on the network.
The logical topology defines how the systems
communicate across the physical topologies.
 Logical topologies are bound to network protocols
and describe how data is moved across the
network.
LOGICAL TOPOLOGY
LOGICAL TOPOLOGY

Logical Topology: The logical topology of

a network determines how the hosts
communicate across the medium.
The two most common types of logical
topologies are:
 Broadcast and
 Token passing.
LOGICAL TOPOLOGY

In networking, a token is a special

series of bits that travels around
a token-ring network
BROADCAST TOPOLOGY

The use of a broadcast

topology indicates that each
host sends its data to all other
hosts on the network medium.
BROADCAST TOPOLOGY

There is no order that the stations

must follow to use the network. It
is first come, first serve.
Example:
Ethernet works this way
MERIT AND DEMERIT OF BROADCAST TOPOLOGY

Merit:
Any node can transmit data without
waiting for a token.
Demerit:
Usually results in collision of data on
the network medium.
TOKEN PASSING
The second logical topology is token
passing.
A token is a special series of bits that
travels around a token-ring network.
As the token
circulates, computers attached to the
network can capture it.
TOKEN PASSING

The token acts like a ticket, enabling its

owner to send a message across the
network.
There is only one token for each network,
so there is no possibility that two
computers will attempt to transmit
messages at the same time.
TOKEN PASSING

In this type of topology, an electronic token is

passed sequentially to each host.
When a host receives the token, that host can
send data on the network.
If the host has no data to send, it passes the
token to the next host and the process repeats
itself.
TOKEN PASSING

Only a host that holds a token can

send data, and tokens are released
when receipt of the data is
confirmed.
TOKEN PASSING

Two examples of networks that

use token passing are
Token Ring and
Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI).
TOKEN PASSING

 Merit:
 Token ring networks prevent data packets from colliding
on a network segment
 because data can only be sent by a token holder, the
number of tokens available is controlled.
 Demerit
 Causes delays as computers ready to send data will have
to wait for the token to be empty.
PHYSICAL TOPOLOGY
POINT –TO- POINT (PTP) DIAGRAM
POINT –TO- POINT (PTP)

 Connects two devices directly together.

Example:
Two computers communicating via
modems.
A workstation communicating along a
parallel cable to a printer.
POINT –TO- POINT (PTP)

In a point-to-point link, two devices

monopolize a communication medium.
Because the medium is not shared, a
mechanism is not needed to identify the
computers.
Therefore, a simple, two-device point-to-point
network has no need for addressing.
POINT –TO- POINT (PTP)

Point-to-point links can be

Simplex
Half-duplex
Full-duplex
POINT –TO- POINT (PTP)

Simplex - signal flows in ONE

direction.
In this type of transmission mode, data
can be sent only through one direction.
Only one station transmit and the other
receive.
 Example of Simplex includes
 Remote and Television
 Keyboard and monitor
Example of Simplex
Half-duplex
Each station can both transmit and receive
but NOT at the same time.
When devices must engage in bi-directional
communication on a half-duplex link, some
turnaround mechanisms must be in place to
switch the roles of the sending and receiving
devices.
Full-duplex - Both stations transmit and
receive simultaneously
Link capacity is shared between the two
devices either by 2 separate transmission
path
Channel capacity is divided for transmitting
and receiving
MULTI-POINT
 Link three or more devices together through a single
communication medium
 For sharing a common channel, each device needs a way to
identify itself and the device to which it wants to send information.
 The method used to identify senders and receivers is called
addressing.
 Three common types of multi-point topology:
 Bus
 Ring
 Star
BUS TOPOLOGY
BUS TOPOLOGY
BUS TOPOLOGY

Devices are connected to a single linear cable

called a trunk.
Each computer examines EVERY packet on the
wire to determine who the packet is for and
accepts only messages addressed to them.
 Message is ignored by all nodes except the one whose
node matches the delivery address in the message
BUS TOPOLOGY

 Performance degrades as more computers are added to the

bus.
 Signal bounce is eliminated by a terminator at each end of
the bus.
 Barrel connectors can be used to lengthen cable.
 Transmissions travel entire medium (both directions)
 Termination required at both ends of bus to prevent signal
from echoing.
BUS TOPOLOGY

 Repeaters can be used to regenerate signals.

 Usually uses Thinnet or Thicknet.
 Both of these require 50 ohm terminator.
 Good for a temporary, small (fewer than 10 people)
network.
 But its difficult to isolate malfunctions and if the
backbone goes down, the entire network goes down.
BUS TOPOLOGY

 Terminators should be applied to both ends of the

longest path.
 Nodes connected to the bus cable by drop lines and
taps
 Drop lines – connection between a node and the main cable
 Taps – connector either splices into the main cable or punctures
the sheathing of a cable to create a contact with the metallic core
BUS TOPOLOGY - ADVANTAGES

 Easy to use and understand

 Less number of cable required
 Inexpensive simple network
 Easy to extend a network by adding cable with a
repeater that boosts the signal and allows it to travel
a longer distance.
BUS TOPOLOGY - DISADVANTAGES

 Becomes slow by heavy network traffic with a lot of

devices because networks do not coordinate with each
other to reserve times to transmit.

 Difficult to troubleshoot a bus because a cable break or

loose connector will cause reflection and bring down the
whole network.
RING TOPOLOGY - DIAGRAM
RING TOPOLOGY

 Computers are connected on a single circle of cable.

 Usually seen in a Token Ring or FDDI (fiber optic)
network.
 Each computer acts as a repeater and keeps the
signal strong => no need for repeaters on a ring
topology.
 No termination required => because its a ring.
RING TOPOLOGY

Point-to-point connection from each node

to the next
Last node connected back to the first.
Token passed from node to node.
RING TOPOLOGY

If a node has the token, it can transmit.

Guarantees network performance
 Each node gets a chance to transmit
Each node retransmits the signal it receives
 Packets are placed on the loop at a node, and travel from
node to node until the desired node is reached
RING TOPOLOGY

Token passing is used in Token Ring

networks.
The token is passed from one computer
to the next, only the computer with the
token can transmit.
RING TOPOLOGY

 The receiving computer strips the data from the

token and sends the token back to the sending
computer with an acknowledgment.
 After verification, the token is regenerated.
 Relatively easy to install, requiring minimal
hardware.
RING TOPOLOGY- ADVANTAGES

One device cannot monopolize the

network.
Continue to function after capacity is
exceeded but the speed will be slow.
RING TOPOLOGY- DISADVANTAGES

Failure on one device can affect the

whole network.
Difficult to troubleshoot.
Adding and removing devices disrupts
the network.
STAR TOPOLOGY- DIAGRAM
STAR TOPOLOGY

Computers are connected by cable

segments to a centralized hub.
Signal travels through the hub to all other
computers.
Requires more cable.
STAR TOPOLOGY

If hub goes down, entire network goes

down.
If a computer goes down, the network
functions normally.
most scalable and reconfigurable of all
topologies.
STAR TOPOLOGY

Nodes communicate through the central

device.
Switching in the central device connects.
Pairs of nodes together to allow them to
communicate directly.
STAR TOPOLOGY

Central device can steer data from one

node to another as required.
Most modern switches allow multiple pairs
to communicate simultaneously.
STAR TOPOLOGY - ADVANTAGES

 The failure of a single device or cable doesn’t bring

down the entire network.
 The centralized networking equipment can reduce
cost in the long run by making network management
much easier.
 It allows several cable types in same network with a
hub that can accommodate multiple cable types.
STAR TOPOLOGY - DISADVANTAGES

Failure of the central device (hub) causes

the whole network failure.
It is slightly more expensive than using bus
topology.
OTHER TOPOLOGIES
HIERARCHICAL (TREE)
HIERARCHICAL (TREE)

 The most common topologies found in large corporations

today.
 Often mirrors corporate structure.
 Uses Polling.
 In communication, 'polling' is the continuous checking
of other programs or devices by one program or device
to see what state they are in, usually to see whether they
are still connected or want to communicate.
HIERARCHICAL - ADVANTAGES

 One fails, others can function independently

HYBRID
HYBRID

 Combination of different topologies.

 A hybrid network is any computer network that uses more
than one type of connecting technology or topology.
 A standard hybrid network uses something called
a hybrid access point.
 Hybrid Access Point networking device that both
broadcasts a wireless signal and contains wired access
ports. 
HYBRID - ADVANTAGES

 The hub or concentration point that is the source of the

problem can easily be isolated from the network and fixed
while the remainder of the network is left to function
normally.
 Users on the system may not even notice a problem has
occurred, which is a major advantage for large businesses and
gaming companies that run online games with millions of users.
 Workgroup efficiency and traffic can be customized
HYBRID - ADVANTAGES

Hybrid networks are constructed in a

modular fashion that allows for easy
integration of new hardware components
like additional concentration points.
 This allows network designers to upgrade network
power and storage capacity simply by wiring a
new hub into the system.
HYBRID - DISADVANTAGES

Devices on one topology cannot be placed into

another topology without some hardware
changes.
The network hubs required for hybrid topology
networking are expensive to purchase and
maintain.
Requires a lot of lots of Cabling
MESH TOPOLOGY
MESH TOPOLOGY

 Mesh is a network setup where each computer and

network device is interconnected with one another,
allowing for most transmission to be distributed,
even if one of the connections go down.
 It is a topology commonly used for wireless
networks.
 A mesh topology can be a:
  Full mesh topology or a 
 Partially connected mesh topology.
FULL MESH TOPOLOGY

 In a full mesh topology, every computer in the

network has a connection to each of the other
computers in that network.
 The number of connections in this network can be
calculated using the following formula:
n(n-1)/2
where n is the number of computers in the network.
PARTIALLY CONNECTED MESH TOPOLOGY

 In a partially connected mesh topology, at least two

of the computers in the network have connections to
multiple other computers in that network.
 It is an inexpensive way to implement redundancy
in a network.
 In the event that one of the primary computers or
connections in the network fails, the rest of the network
continues to operate normally.
MESH TOPOLOGY - ADVANTAGES

Can handle 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.
Adding additional devices does not disrupt data
transmission between other devices.
MESH TOPOLOGY - 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.
 The chance of redundant connections is high, which
adds to the high costs and potential for reduced
efficiency.
END OF LESSON