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Network Topology

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MADONDO K.T R159819H HBBSP

Information processing; Network Topologies
Network topology is the arrangement of various elements (links, nodes etc). It is essentially the topological structure of a network and can be depicted physically or logically. Physical topology being the configuration of cables, computers and other peripherals whilst logical topology illustrates how data flows within a network regardless of its physical design. Types of network topologies include bus, star, mesh and ring topologies.

Bus networks use a common backbone to connect all devices. A single cable, the backbone acts as a shared communication medium that devices tap into with an interface connector. A device wanting to communicate with another device on the network sends a broadcast message onto the wire that all devices see but only the intended recipient actually accepts and processes the message. The table below summarizes advantages and disadvantages of bus topology.
Advantages

Disadvantages









It is cheap , easy to handle and implement Requires less cable
It is best suited for small networks



The cable length is limited
It can only perform well for a limited number of nodes
Network effectively becomes unusable if backbone cable fails

In a ring network, every device has exactly two neighbors for communication purposes. All messages travel through a ring in the same direction either clockwise or counterclockwise. To implement a ring network we use Token Ring technology. A token or small data packet is continuously passed around the network. When a device needs to transmit it reserves the token for the next trip around, and then attaches its packet data to it. The table highlights the various merits and de-merits associated with ring network topology.

Advantages

Disadvantages









Very orderly where every device has access to the token and the opportunity to

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