GE Elect 111 Living in an IT ERA

Network Topologies
Network topology is the arrangement of the elements (links, nodes, etc.)
of a communication network. Network topology can be used to define or
describe the arrangement of various types of telecommunication networks,
including command and control radio
networks, industrial fieldbusses and computer networks.
Network topology is the topological structure of a network and may be
depicted physically or logically. It is an application of graph theory wherein
communicating devices are modeled as nodes and the connections between
the devices are modeled as links or lines between the nodes.

Physical topology is the placement of the various components of a network

(e.g., device location and cable installation), while logical topology illustrates
how data flows within a network. Distances between nodes, physical
interconnections, transmission rates, or signal types may differ between two
different networks, yet their logical topologies may be identical. A network’s
physical topology is a particular concern of the physical layer of the OSI
model.
Point-to-point
The simplest topology with a dedicated link between two endpoints. Easiest
to understand, of the variations of point-to-point topology, is a point-to-
point communication channel that appears, to the user, to be permanently
associated with the two endpoints. A child's tin can telephone is one example
of a physical dedicated channel.
Using circuit-switching or packet-switching technologies, a point-to-point
circuit can be set up dynamically and dropped when no longer needed.
Switched point-to-point topologies are the basic model of
conventional telephony.
The value of a permanent point-to-point network is unimpeded
communications between the two endpoints. The value of an on-demand
point-to-point connection is proportional to the number of potential pairs of
subscribers and has been expressed as Metcalfe's Law.

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Daisy chain
Daisy chaining is accomplished by connecting each computer in series to the
next. If a message is intended for a computer partway down the line, each
system bounces it along in sequence until it reaches the destination. A
daisy-chained network can take two basic forms: linear and ring.
A daisy chain is a wiring scheme in which hardware devices are connected
together in sequence.
For example, when connecting devices A, B, and C, as a daisy chain, devices
are connected in sequence, A to B and B to C like a bus wiring. Generally,
the very end device is connected to a termination resistor or a terminal unit.
All devices may receive the same signal, but unlikely to a bus wiring, any
device in the chain may alter the contents before it sends one or more
signals to another device.

● A linear topology puts a two-way link between one computer and the
next. However, this was expensive in the early days of computing, since
each computer (except for the ones at each end) required two receivers
and two transmitters.
● By connecting the computers at each end of the chain, a ring
topology can be formed. When a node sends a message, the message is
processed by each computer in the ring. An advantage of the ring is that
the number of transmitters and receivers can be cut in half. Since a
message will eventually loop all of the way around, transmission does not
need to go both directions. Alternatively, the ring can be used to improve
fault tolerance. If the ring breaks at a particular link then the
transmission can be sent via the reverse path thereby ensuring that all
nodes are always connected in the case of a single failure.

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Bus Topology

Data network with bus topology has a linear transmission cable,

usually coaxial, to which many network devices and workstations are
attached along the length. Server is at one end of the bus. When a
workstation has to send data, it transmits packets with destination
address in its header along the bus.

The data travels in both the directions along the bus. When the destination
terminal sees the data, it copies it to the local disk.

Advantages of Bus Topology

These are the advantages of using bus topology −

● Easy to install and maintain

● Can be extended easily

● Very reliable because of single transmission line

Disadvantages of Bus Topology

These are some disadvantages of using bus topology −

● Troubleshooting is difficult as there is no single point of control

● One faulty node can bring the whole network down

● Dumb terminals cannot be connected to the bus

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Ring Topology
In ring topology each terminal is connected to exactly two nodes, giving
the network a circular shape. Data travels in only one pre-determined
direction.

When a terminal has to send data, it transmits it to the neighboring node

which transmits it to the next one. Before further transmission data may be
amplified. In this way, data traverses the network and reaches the
destination node, which removes it from the network. If the data reaches
the sender, it removes the data and resends it later.

Advantages of Ring Topology

These are the advantages of using ring topology −

● Small cable segments are needed to connect two nodes

● Ideal for optical fibers as data travels in only one direction

● Very high transmission speeds possible

Disadvantages of Ring Topology

These are some the disadvantages of using ring topology −

● Failure of single node brings down the whole network

● Troubleshooting is difficult as many nodes may have to be inspected

before faulty one is identified

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● Difficult to remove one or more nodes while keeping the rest of the
network intact

Star Topology
In star topology, server is connected to each node individually. Server is
also called the central node. Any exchange of data between two nodes must
take place through the server. It is the most popular topology for
information and voice networks as central node can process data received
from source node before sending it to the destination node.

Advantages of Star Topology

These are the advantages of using star topology −

● Failure of one node does not affect the network

● Troubleshooting is easy as faulty node can be detected from central

node immediately

● Simple access protocols required as one of the communicating nodes

is always the central node

Disadvantages of Star Topology

These are the disadvantages of using star topology −

● Long cables may be required to connect each node to the server

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● Failure of central node brings down the whole network

Tree Topology
Tree topology has a group of star networks connected to a linear bus
backbone cable. It incorporates features of both star and bus topologies.
Tree topology is also called hierarchical topology.

Advantages of Tree Topology

These are some of the advantages of using tree topology −

● Existing network can be easily expanded

● Point-to-point wiring for individual segments means easier installation

and maintenance

● Well suited for temporary networks

Disadvantages of Tree Topology

These are some of the disadvantages of using tree topology −

● Technical expertise required to configure and wire tree topology

● Failure of backbone cable brings down entire network

● Insecure network

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● Maintenance difficult for large networks

Mesh Topology
The value of fully meshed networks is proportional to the exponent of the
number of subscribers, assuming that communicating groups of any two
endpoints, up to and including all the endpoints, is approximated by Reed's
Law.

Fully connected network

Fully connected mesh topology

In a fully connected network, all nodes are interconnected. (In graph

theory this is called a complete graph.) The simplest fully connected network
is a two-node network. A fully connected network doesn't need to use packet
switching or broadcasting. However, since the number of connections grows
quadratically with the number of nodes:
This makes it impractical for large networks. This kind of topology does not
trip and affect other nodes in the network.

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Partially connected network

Partially connected mesh topology

In a partially connected network, certain nodes are connected to exactly one

other node; but some nodes are connected to two or more other nodes with
a point-to-point link. This makes it possible to make use of some of the
redundancy of mesh topology that is physically fully connected, without the
expense and complexity required for a connection between every node in the
network.

Hybrid
Hybrid topology is also known as hybrid network. Hybrid networks combine
two or more topologies in such a way that the resulting network does not
exhibit one of the standard topologies (e.g., bus, star, ring, etc.). For
example, a tree network (or star-bus network) is a hybrid topology in
which star networks are interconnected via bus networks. However, a tree
network connected to another tree network is still topologically a tree
network, not a distinct network type. A hybrid topology is always produced
when two different basic network topologies are connected.
A star-ring network consists of two or more ring networks connected using
a multistation access unit (MAU) as a centralized hub.
Snowflake topology is a star network of star networks.
Two other hybrid network types are hybrid mesh and hierarchical star.

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