NETWORK TOPOLOGIES

NETWORK TOPOLOGY

Network Topology is the schematic description of a network arrangement, connecting various nodes (sender and receiver) through lines of connection.

  1. Bus topology: is a network type in which every computer and network device is connected to a single cable.

 

  Advantages

  1. It is cost effective.
  2. Cable required is least compared to other network topology.
  3. Used in small networks.
  4. It is easy to understand.
  5. Easy to expand joining two cables together.

    Disadvantages

  1. If the cable fails, then whole network fails.
  2. If network traffic is heavy or nodes are more, the performance of the network decreases.
  3. The cable has a limited length.

     

2 .    Ring topology: is where nodes are arranged in a circle (or ring). The data can travel through the ring network in either one direction or both directions, with each device having exactly two neighbors.

 

Advantages

  1. Easy Installation.
  2. Less Cabling Required.
  3. Reduces chances of data collision(unidirectional).
  4. Easy to troubleshoot(the faulty node does not pass the token).
  5. Each node gets the same access time.

 

Disadvantages

  • If a node fails, the whole network will fail.
  • Slow data transmission speed(each message has to go through the ring path).
  • Difficult to reconfigure (we have to break the ring).

 

3  Star topology: is a computer network topology in which all the nodes are connected to a centralized hub. The hub or switch acts as a middleware between the nodes. Any node requesting for service or providing service, first contact the hub for communication.

Advantages

  1. Fast performance with few nodes and low network traffic.
  2. Hub can be upgraded easily.
  3. Easy to troubleshoot.
  4. Easy to setup and modify.
  5. Only that node is affected which has failed, rest of the nodes can work smoothly.

Disadvantages

  • Cost of installation is high.
  • Expensive to use.
  • If the hub fails then the whole network is stopped because all the nodes depend on the hub.
  • Performance is based on the hub’s capacity.

 

 

4.   Mesh Topology: A mesh topology is an intricate and elaborate structure of point-to-point connections where the nodes are interconnected. Mesh networks can be full or partial mesh. Partial mesh topologies are mostly interconnected, with a few nodes with only two or three connections, while full-mesh topologies fully interconnected.

Advantages

  1. Dedicated links facilitate direct communication.
  2. No congestion or traffic problems on the channels.
  3. Good Fault tolerance due to the dedicated path for each node.
  4. Very fast communication.
  5. Maintains privacy and security due to a separate channel for communication.
  6. If a node fails, other alternatives are present in the network.

Disadvantages

  1. Very high cabling required.
  2. Cost inefficient to implement.
  3. Complex to implement and takes large space to install the network.
  4. Installation and maintenance are very difficult.