Network Topologies

Network topology

• Network topology is the physical and logical structure of a

network, which describes how devices are connected and how
data moves. It's a crucial concept in network design and
management.
What does it do?
• Network performance: Network topology affects how well a network
performs.
• Network security: Network topology can help protect a network from
security threats.
• Network scalability: Network topology can help a network scale to
meet growing demands.
• Network troubleshooting: Network topology can help identify and fix
problems in a network.
Nodes
• A node is a point of connection in a network that can send and
receive data. Nodes include both physical devices and
communication equipment such as computers, phones,
IoT devices, routers, switches, repeaters and hubs. Each node
plays a role in transmitting, receiving or forwarding data within
the network. These devices form the backbone of network
infrastructure.
Links
• Links are the transmission media that are used to send information between the nodes in
a network. They can be wired or wireless and internet service providers often dictate the
type of cabling and equipment used.

• The most common type of link is a cable, though the type of cable that is used depends
on the network that is being created. For example, coaxial cables and ethernet cables are
commonly used for LAN networks; twisted-pair cables are widely used for telephone lines
and in telecommunications networks; fiber-optic cables carry pulses of light that
communicate data and are often used for high-speed internet and underseas
communication cables.
What are the types of network topology?

• Physical topology: The physical layout of devices and

cables
• Logical topology: How data flows through the network,
regardless of the physical layout
How do you choose a network
topology?
• Consider the network's size,
• Consider the network's business objectives,
• Consider the network's risk tolerance,
• and Consider the network's operational profits and losses.
What is Mesh Topology?

• Mesh Topology is a
network configuration where
every device is
interconnected with every
other device, providing
multiple route for data to
travel.
Types of Mesh Topology

There are two types of

Mesh topologies:
• Fully-connected
Mesh Topology

• Partially-connected
Mesh Topology
Full Mesh Topology

In a full mesh topology, every device in the network is directly

connected to every other device.
Partial Mesh Topology

Partial mesh topology is a way to map multiple routers in such a

way that they are tightly coupled among themselves but not fully
inter-connected.
Applications of Mesh Topology
Below mentioned are some of the applications of Mesh Topology:
• Wireless Networks: Many homes and small office spaces uses Mesh Wifi
System for better internet coverage and connectivity.

• Industrial and Manufacturing Networks: Many industries uses mesh

topology to control machinery, ensuring better productivity.

• Smart Homes: Some advanced homes also use mesh topology for
connecting home appliances like smart lights, security systems, etc.

• Military Communication: Mesh Topology are used in Military Purposes as

if one connection fails, then there is always a chance of another connection.
Advantages of Mesh Topology
• In case of failure of a single device, the entire network didn’t break.

• There is no traffic problem as there is a dedicated point to point links for

every device.

• Mesh Topology provides high privacy and security.

• Data transmission is more consistent because failure doesn’t disrupt its

processes.

• Adding new devices won’t disrupt transmission of data.

Disadvantages of Mesh Topology
• Mesh Topology is costly as compared to the other network
topologies i.e. star, bus, point to point topology.

• Installation of nodes are difficult in mesh topology.

• Power requirement is higher as all the nodes will need to

remain active all the time and share the load.

• Each node requires a extra utility cost.

• More maintenance is required in mesh topology.

Star Topology
Star Topology
• is a network setup in which each device is
connected to a central node called a hub. The
hub manages the data flow between the
devices. If one device wants to send data to
another device, it has to first send the
information to the hub, and then the hub
transmits that data to the required device.

• A star may be a Local Area Network (LAN)

topology where all nodes are individually
connected to a central connection point (hub).
The number of links required to connect nodes
in the star topology is N where N is the number
of nodes. The hub or switch manages and
controls all functions of the network.
Types of Star Topology
There are two types of star topology:
• Active Star Topology: In active star topology, the central hub
regenerates the signal when it passes through it. This simply means
that the hub not only works as a connector but also boosts the
signal and makes sure the signals reach their destination properly.

• Passive Star topology: In passive star topology, the central hub

simply connects the devices, but does not regenerate the signals.
Here, the devices connected are responsible for the transmission of
signals. Passive star topology is recommended for smaller setups.
What are the best practices of Star
Topology?
Below mentioned are some of the applications of Star Topology:
• Home Networks: Star Topology is used in a home network where all
devices connects to a connected to a central router that manages the
Internet.

• ATM Networks: In banks, ATMs are also connected in as a star network, as

it helps in managing data efficiently.

• Hospital Networks: Hospital devices, medicinal equipment are connected

in the star topology. It helps in easily accessing data records.

• CCTV Networks: Star Topology are also used in CCTV Networks where
multiple cameras are connected to central video recorder.
What is the Importance of Star
Topology in LAN?
• Star Topology is important in Local Area Network because it helps in easy
management and scalability of the network. As central hub is present in
the star topology, it becomes simple to monitor and control network traffic
among devices present int he network. Because of star topology, adding or
removing devices becomes easy and it also helps in expanding networks.
Advantages of Star Topology
• It is very reliable as if one cable or device fails then all the others will still work.

• It is high performing as no data collisions can occur.

• It is less expensive because each device only needs one I/O port and wishes to be
connected to the hub with one link.

• Easy fault detection because the links are often easily identified.

• No disruptions to the network when connecting or removing devices.

• Each device requires just one port i.e. to attach to the hub.
Disadvantages of Star Topology
• If the connecting network device (network switch) fails, the nodes attached are disabled and
can’t participate in network communication.

• More expensive than linear bus topology due to the value of the connecting devices (network
switches).

• If the hub goes down everything goes down, none of the devices can work without the hub.

• Hub requires more resources and regular maintenance because it’s the central system of
Star.

• Extra hardware is required (hubs or switches) which adds to the cost.

• Performance is predicated on the one concentrator i.e. hub.

Bus Topology
What is Bus Topology?
• is a network configuration where all devices are connected to a single
cable, called the bus.
Key Features of Bus Topology

• An efficient bus architecture is established, and each station is connected

by a single backbone cable.

• There are two requirements: Initially, the nodes are connected to the
backbone cable directly, or they use a drop cable to help them connect.

• The well-known access method for bus topologies is called CSMA (Carrier
Sense Multiple Access).
Best Practice for Designing Bus Topology

1. Plan for Scalability: Plan for the network’s future growth and expansion. Ensure that the bus
topology can accommodate extra devices with out extensively affecting overall performance.

2. Use Good Quality Cabling: Create a good cabling setup for the bus backbone. Ensure that
the cable is properly shielded to minimize sign interference and degradation. Use cable with
suitable bandwidth and make certain that it meets the necessities of the network.

3. Implement Redundancy: Think about adding redundancy to decrease the risk of a single
point of failure (SPoF).

4. Terminate the Bus Properly: Terminate both ends of the bus with terminators to prevent
signal reflection and ensure signal integrity. Improper termination can result in signal
degradation and performance issues.
Advantages of Bus Topology
• It is the easiest network topology for linearly connecting peripherals or computers.

• It works very efficiently well when there is a small network.

• The length of cable required is less than a star topology.

• It is easy to connect or remove devices in this network without affecting any other
device.

• Very cost-effective as compared to another network topology i.e. mesh and star

• It is easy to understand topology.

• Easy to expand by joining the two cables together.

Disadvantages of Bus Topology
• Bus topology is not good for large networks.

• Identification of problems becomes difficult if the whole network goes down.

• Troubleshooting individual device issues is very hard.

• Need terminators are required at both ends of the main cable.

• Additional devices slow the network down.

• If the main cable is damaged, the whole network fails or splits into two.

• Packet loss is high.

• This network topology is very slow as compared to other topologies.

Applications of Bus Topology
1.Local Area Networks (LANs): Bus topology was traditionally utilized in Ethernet LANs,
mainly in older implementations wherein coaxial cables have been daisy-chained to
connect computer systems.

2.Industrial Control Systems: In industrial control system, bus topology is frequently used
for connecting sensors, actuators, and different devices in distributed manipulate
systems.

3.Instrumentation Networks: Bus topology is appropriate for connecting devices, meters,

and records acquisition gadgets in laboratory or commercial environments.
4.Building Automation Systems: Bus topology is employed in building automation and
HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) structures to attach sensors,
thermostats, actuators, and other manage devices.

5.Telecommunications Networks: Bus topology has traditionally been utilized in

telephone networks and early records transmission systems. However, it has largely been
changed by using more superior topologies like mesh or ring for telecommunications
applications because of higher fault tolerance and scalability.
Ring Topology
Ring Topology
• is a network design
where devices are
connected in a circle,
forming a data
channel. In a ring
topology, each device
is connected to two
other devices,
creating a circular
path for data to travel.
Advantages of Ring topology
• In this data flows in one direction which reduces the chance of packet collisions.
• In this topology additional workstations can be added after without impacting performance of the
network.
• Equal access to the resources.
• There is no need of server to control the connectivity among the nodes in the topology.
• It is cheap to install and expand.
• Minimum collision.
• Speed to transfer the data is very high in this type of topology.
• Due to the presence of token passing the performance of ring topology becomes better than bus
topology under heavy traffic.
• Easy to manage.
• Ring network is extremely orderly organized where every device has access to the token and
therefore the opportunity to transmit.
Disadvantages of Ring topology
• Due to the Uni-directional Ring, a data packet (token) must have to pass through all the
nodes.
• If one workstation shuts down, it affects whole network or if a node goes down entire
network goes down.
• It is slower in performance as compared to the bus topology
• It is Expensive.
• Addition and removal of any node during a network is difficult and may cause issue in
network activity.
• Difficult to troubleshoot the ring.
• In order for all the computer to communicate with each other, all computer must be turned
on.
• Total dependence in on one cable.
• They were not Scalable.
Tree Topology
What is Tree Topology?
• is a network
topology that
organizes devices
in a hierarchical
structure, similar
to a tree. It has a
central root node,
or "trunk", with
secondary and
tertiary nodes
branching off.
Advantages of Tree Topology
• This topology is the combination of bus and star topology.
• This topology provides a hierarchical as well as central data arrangement of the nodes.
• As the leaf nodes can add one or more nodes in the hierarchical chain, this topology
provides high scalability.
• The other nodes in a network are not affected if one of their nodes gets damaged or does
not work.
• Tree topology provides easy maintenance and easy fault identification can be done.
• A callable topology. Leaf nodes can hold more nodes.
• Supported by several hardware and software vendors.
• Point-to-point wiring for individual segments.
• Tree Topology is highly secure.
• Tree Topology is reliable.
Disadvantages of Tree Topology
• This network is very difficult to configure as compared to the other network topologies.
• The length of a segment is limited & the limit of the segment depends on the type of cabling used.
• Due to the presence of a large number of nodes, the network performance of tree topology
becomes a bit slow.
• If the computer on the first level is erroneous, the next-level computer will also go under problems.
• Requires a large number of cables compared to star and ring topology.
• As the data needs to travel from the central cable this creates dense network traffic.
• The Backbone appears as the failure point of the entire segment of the network.
• Treatment of the topology is pretty complex.
• The establishment cost increases as well.
• If the bulk of nodes is added to this network, then the maintenance will become complicated.
Hybrid Topology
What is Hybrid Topology?
• A hybrid topology is
defined as a network
topology that
combines two or more
different network
topologies. A hybrid
topology can be a
combination of bus
topology, ring
topology and mesh
topology.
Types of Hybrid Topologies
1. Star-Ring Hybrid Topology
• The combination of star and ring
topology forms a star-ring topology.
Two or more than two-star
topologies are connected together
through a ring topology using a
wired connection. The flow of data
in star-ring topology is bidirectional
or unidirectional. If any node of the
original ring topology gets fail the
bidirectional data flow provides with
the surety that there will be no effect
on the rest of the data in network
flow.
2. Star-Bus Hybrid Topology
• The combination of star and bus
topology is known as star-bus
hybrid topology. Two or more-star
topologies are connected together
with the help of bus topology
through a wired connection. The
bus topology can interrelate
different star topologies and offers
with a backbone structure. The
entire network is not affected in
case of any node failure. The
failed node can be then easily
replaced and offers with a easy
way for adding or deleting the
nodes. The overall network can
be easily modified according to
the need.