by •Topology means the physical layout of the network that shows how linking devices are linked using cables.
•Main objective of the network topology is to find out the most economical and efficient way of a transmission channel.
•The most common Topologies are Bus, Star, ring, tree, mesh, & hybrid.
Bus Topology
•It is the simplest network topologies, In which all the nodes (computers as well as servers) are connected to a single cable with the help of a drop line and T-connecter(tap).
•A bus must be terminated on both sides to prevent signal bounce.
Advantages
•It is more flexible because we can easily set up and disconnect any computer from this network.
•It is a comparatively cheaper and simple network due to less amount of cable and networking devices.
•Linear bus(Bus topology) network is mostly used in small networks.
•It is widely used when network installation is small, simple, or temporary.
Disadvantages
•Efficiency is less when nodes are more(strength of signal decreases)
•It is difficult to detect and troubleshoot fault at the individual station.
•There is a maximum chance of collision of data due to high traffic.
•If the main cable collapses, the complete network is down.
•Security issues and risks are more as messages are broadcasted to all nodes.
Star Topology
•In this Topology, all the components of networks are connected to each other with the help of a central device. (which may be a hub, a router, or a switch).
•The central device(hub or switch) has point to point communication link with the devices.
•The network device control traffic on a network.
•The hub broadcasts the message, while the switch unicasts the messages by maintaining a switch table. Broadcasting increases unnecessary data traffic in the network.
Advantages
•Centralized management helps in monitoring the network.
•failure of one node or link doesn’t affect the rest of the network.
•In this topology, new nodes can be added easily without affecting the rest of the network.
•It is simple and reliable for setup and reconfiguration.
Disadvantages
•If central devices fail the whole network will be down.
•It required a large amout of cable.
•Traffic is high in a central device so the chance of data collision.
Ring Topology
•In Ring Topology, all the nodes are connected to each other in such a way that they make a closed circular loop.
•In this topology, a ring pattern is formed by connecting one computer to another and so on.
•There is no master computer to control data communication in a ring topology.
•There is no chance of data collision due to data traveled in only one direction i.e clockwise or anti-clockwise.
•It is an example of peer-to-peer network architecture.
