Topologies Concepts - Networking

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TOPOLOGY :

What is a topology?

A topology refers to the manner in which the cable is run to individual workstations on the network. The dictionary defines topology as: the configurations formed by the connections between devices on a local area network (LAN) or between two or more LANs

There are three basic network topologies (not counting variations thereon): the bus, the star, and the ring.

It is important to make a distinction between a topology and an architecture. A topology is concerned with the physical arrangement of the network components. In contrast, an architecture addresses the components themselves and how a system is structured (cable access methods, lower level protocols, topology, etc.). An example of an architecture is 10baseT Ethernet which typically uses the start topology.

A bus topology connects each computer (node) to a single segment trunk. A 'trunk' is a communication line, typically coax cable, that is referred to as the 'bus.' The signal travels from one end of the bus to the other. A terminator is required at each end to absorb the signal so it does not reflect back across the bus.

A ring topology consists of a set of stations connected serially by cable. In other words, it's a circle or ring of computers. There are no terminated ends to the cable; the signal travels around the circle in a clockwise direction.

All of the stations in a star topology are connected to a central unit called a hub.

The hub offers a common connection for all stations on the network. Each station has its own direct cable connection to the hub. In most cases, this means more cable is required than for a bus topology. However, this makes adding or moving computers a relatively easy task; simply plug them into a cable outlet on the wall.

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