What is Network Topology?Types of Network topology.

 

What is Network Topology?Types of  Network topology.

Network topology refers to the arrangement of computers connected in a network through some physical means such as cables, optical fibers, etc. Topology generally determines the size of the network and the communication paths between the different computers (nodes) in the network. The various types of network topologies are as follows:

★Hierarchical topology
★Bus topology
★ Star topology
★Ring topology
★Mesh topology
★Hybrid topology

Hierarchical topology

Hierarchical topology, also called tree topology, is divided into different layers connected using twisted pair, coaxial cable or fiber optics. This type of topology is arranged in the form of a tree structure with parent nodes (root nodes) at the top level, which are connected to child nodes at the second level of the hierarchy through point-to-point links. The second layer is connected to the third BB computer
Nodes are connected to third level nodes, which in turn are connected to fourth level nodes and so on. Except for top-level nodes, each level node has a parent node. The number of point-to-point links in a hierarchical topology is usually one less than the total number of nodes in the structure. Hierarchical topology is symmetric, each node has a fixed branching factor, associated with it. The branching factor is the number of point-to-point links between hierarchical levels.

  Advantages of hierarchical topology are:

★Hierarchical topology is generally supported by most hardware and software.
★In hierarchical topology, all nodes receive data efficiently due to point-to-point links.

The following are the harmful of hierarchical topology:

★In hierarchical topology, when the root node fails, the entire network crashes.
★Configuring hierarchical topology is difficult.

Linear bus topology

In a linear bus topology, all nodes are connected to a single backbone or bus by some medium such as twisted pair, coaxial cable, etc. When a node wants to communicate with other nodes in the network, it simply sends a message ordinary bus All nodes in the network then receive the message but only the node for which it was sent processes it. Other nodes discard the message.
Advantages of linear bus topology are:

★ Linear bus topology generally requires less wiring.
★ Linear bus topology is relatively easy to configure and install.
★In linear bus topology, the failure of one computer does not affect other computers in the network.
Disadvantages of linear bus topology are as follows:

★In linear bus topology, backbone cable failure causes the entire network to collapse.
★ Adding computers to a linear bus topology reduces network performance.
★Difficult to reconstruct in case of bus topology fault.

Star topology

In star topology, all nodes are connected to a common device known as hub. Nodes are connected using twisted pair, coaxial cable or optical. Fiber When a node wants to send a message to other nodes, it first sends the message to the hub, which forwards the message to the intended node. Each node in the network is connected with a point-to-point link to a centralized hub. The hub's job is to detect faulty nodes present in the network. As opposed to , it also operate the overall data transmission in the network.
Advantages of star topology are:

★This topology allows easy fault detection and correction.
★In star topology, the failure of one computer does not affect other computers in the network.
★Star topology is easy to install.

Disadvantages of star topology are as follows:
★ In star topology, hub failure leads to overall network crash.
★Star topology requires more cables to connect the nodes.
★ It is expensive due to hub cast.

Ring topology

In a ring topology, nodes are connected in a ring using twisted pairs. Each node is directly connected to two other nodes in the network. A node, which wants to send a message, first sends the message to its next node in the network. Data is transmitted clockwise from one node to another.Each node includes a repeater, which forwards the message to the next node when the message is intended for another node.

Advantages of ring topology are:
★ Each node has equal access to other nodes in the network. degradation

★Adding new nodes does not degrade network performance.

★Ring topology is easy to configure and install.

★Disadvantages of following rings are relatively expensive to construct ring topology.

★ Failure of one node in a ring topology affects other nodes in the ring.

Mesh topology

In a mesh topology, every computer is connected to every other computer in a point-to-point manner. For example, if we have six computers, we must have eight links. If we have n computers then we must have n(n-1)/2 links. A message can take several possible way to reach a destination.

Advantages of mesh topology are:

★Message delivery is more reputable.
★Network completion is inferior due to large number of links.
★ It is very difficult to configure and install.

Following are the disadvantages:
   

★ It is very expensive to implement.

Hybrid topology

A hybrid topology is a combination of multiple topologies, used to build a larger topology. Hybrid topologies are created when two different network topologies are interconnected. If two ring topologies are connected, the resulting topology is not a hybrid topology. On the other hand, if the ring topology is connected to the bus topology, the resulting topology is called a hybrid topology. This topology usually combines the features of the two topologies and is therefore more effective and efficient than the individual topologies.

Advantages of hybrid topology are:
★ Hybrid topology is more efficient because it uses multiple topologies.

★Hybrid topology has the best and efficient features of combined topology which is developed from.

Disadvantages of hybrid topology are as follows:
★Hybrid topology is relatively more complex than other topologies.

★ Hybrid topology is difficult to install and configure.

FAQs

What are the 6 types of topology?
The various types of network topologies are as follows:
★Hierarchical topology
★Bus topology
★ Star topology
★Ring topology
★Mesh topology
★Hybrid topology