Network Topology
[1] What Is Network Topology ?
- Network Topology Refers To The Arrangement Of Elements In A
Computer Network.
- It Defines How Different Devices And Components Are
Connected And Communicate With Each Other.
[2] Type Of Topology :
- Point To Point Topology
- Mesh Topology
- Star Topology
- Bus Topology
- Ring Topology
- Tree Topology
- Hybrid Topology
(A) Point To Point Topology :
- Point-To-Point Topology Is A Type Of Topology That Works On
The Functionality Of The Sender And Receiver.
- It Is The Simplest Communication Between Two Nodes, In
Which One Is The Sender And The Other One Is The Receiver.
- Point-To-Point Provides High Bandwidth.
Strengths :
- P2P Networks Are Highly Efficient As They Allow For Direct
Communication.
- P2P Networks Are Relatively More Secure Than Other
Topologies
- P2P Networks Are Easy To Configure And Require Minimal
Management Or Administration.
Weaknesses :
- P2P Networks Can Be Difficult To Maintain As Each Device Has
To Be Managed Separately.
- P2P Networks Do Not Provide Redundancy, Which Can Be A
Problem If A Link Fails Or A Device Goes Offline.With A
Dedicated Communication Connection Between Two Systems.
(B) Mesh Topology :
- In A Mesh Topology, Every Device Is Connected To Every Other
Device In The Network.
- In Mesh Topology, The Protocols Used Are AHCP (Ad Hoc
Configuration Protocols), DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol), Etc.
Strengths :
- Communication Is Very Fast Between The Nodes.
- Mesh Topology Is Robust.
- The Fault Is Diagnosed Easily. Data Is Reliable Because Data Is
Transferred Among The Devices Through Dedicated Channels Or
Links.
- Provides Security And Privacy.
Weaknesses :
- Installation And Configuration Are Difficult.
- The Cost Of Cables Is High As Bulk Wiring Is Required, Hence
Suitable For Less Number Of Devices.
- The Cost Of Maintenance Is High.
(C) Star Topology :
- In A Star Topology, All Devices Are Connected To A Central Hub
Or Switch.
- This Hub Is The Central Node And All Other Nodes Are
Connected To The Central Node.
- The Hub Can Be Passive In Nature.
- In Star Topology, Many Popular Ethernet LAN Protocols Are
Used As CD(Collision Detection), CSMA (Carrier Sense Multiple
Access), Etc.
Strengths :
- If N Devices Are Connected To Each Other In A Star Topology,
Then The Number Of Cables Required To Connect Them Is N. So,
It Is
Easy To Set Up.
- Each Device Requires Only 1 Port I.E. To Connect To The Hub,
Therefore The Total Number Of Ports Required Is N.
- It Is Robust. If One Link Fails Only That Link Will Affect And Not
Other Than That.
- Easy To Fault Identification And Fault Isolation.
- Star Topology Is Cost-Effective As It Uses Inexpensive Coaxial
Cable.
Weaknesses :
- If The Concentrator (Hub) On Which The Whole Topology Relies
Fails, The Whole System Will Crash Down.
- The Cost Of Installation Is High.
- Performance Is Based On The Single Concentrator I.E. Hub
(D) Bus Topology :
- Bus Topology Is A Network Type In Which Every Computer And
Network Device Is Connected To A Single Cable.
- It Is Bi-Directional. It Is A Multi-Point Connection And A Non-
Robust Topology Because If The Backbone Fails The Topology
Crashes.
- In Bus Topology, Various MAC (Media Access Control) Protocols
Are Followed By LAN Ethernet Connections Like TDMA, Pure
Aloha, CDMA,
Slotted Aloha, Etc.
Strengths :
- If N Devices Are Connected To Each Other In A Bus Topology,
Then The Number Of Cables Required To Connect Them Is 1,
Known As
Backbone Cable, And N Drop Lines Are Required.
- Coaxial Or Twisted Pair Cables Are Mainly Used In Bus-Based
Networks That Support Up To 10 Mbps.
- The Cost Of The Cable Is Less Compared To Other Topologies,
But It Is Used To Build Small Networks.
- Bus Topology Is Familiar Technology As Installation And
Troubleshooting Techniques Are Well Known.
- CSMA Is The Most Common Method For This Type Of Topology.
Weaknesses :
- A Bus Topology Is Quite Simpler, But Still, It Requires A Lot Of
Cabling.
- If The Common Cable Fails, Then The Whole System Will Crash
Down.
- If The Network Traffic Is Heavy, It Increases Collisions In The
Network. To Avoid This, Various Protocols Are Used In The MAC
Layer
Known As Pure Aloha, Slotted Aloha, CSMA/CD, Etc.
- Adding New Devices To The Network Would Slow Down
Networks.
- Security Is Very Low.
(E) Ring Topology :
- In A Ring Topology, It Forms A Ring Connecting Devices With
Exactly Two Neighboring Devices.
- A Number Of Repeaters Are Used For Ring Topology With A
Large Number Of Nodes
- The Data Flows In One Direction
Strengths :
- The Data Transmission Is High-Speed.
- The Possibility Of Collision Is Minimum In This Type Of
Topology.
- Cheap To Install And Expand.
- It Is Less Costly Than A Star Topology.
Weaknesses :
- The Failure Of A Single Node In The Network Can Cause The
Entire Network To Fail.
- Troubleshooting Is Difficult In This Topology.
- The Addition Of Stations In Between Or The Removal Of
Stations Can Disturb The Whole Topology.
- Less Secure.
(F) Tree Topology :
- A Tree Topology Is A Hierarchical Structure That Combines
Features Of A Star And A Bus Topology.
- This Topology Has A Hierarchical Flow Of Data.
- Protocols Like DHCP And SAC (Standard Automatic
Configuration ) Are Used.
Strengths :
- It Allows More Devices To Be Attached To A Single Central Hub
Thus It Decreases The Distance That Is Traveled By The Signal
To Come To
The Devices.
- It Allows The Network To Get Isolated And Also Prioritize From
Different Computers.
- We Can Add New Devices To The Existing Network.
- Error Detection And Error Correction Are Very Easy In A Tree
Topology.
Weaknesses :
- If The Central Hub Gets Fails The Entire System Fails.
- The Cost Is High Because Of The Cabling.
- If New Devices Are Added, It Becomes Difficult To Reconfigure.
(G) Hybrid Topology :
- Hybrid Topologies Combine Two Or More Of The Above-
Mentioned Topologies.
- Hybrid Topology Is Used When The Nodes Are Free To Take Any
Form.
Strengths :
- This Topology Is Very Flexible.
- The Size Of The Network Can Be Easily Expanded By Adding
New Devices.
Weaknesses:
- It Is Challenging To Design The Architecture Of The Hybrid
Network.
- Hubs Used In This Topology Are Very Expensive.
- The Infrastructure Cost Is Very High As A Hybrid Network
Requires A Lot Of Cabling And Network Devices.
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#NetworkDesign
#TopologyTypes
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