7.2.7 The characteristic of network topologies Flashcards
Explain:
Differences between a logical and physical topology
Physical: Physical structure and layout of devices on a network; devices, cabels, switches etc.
Logical: Way data passes from one device to another through the network or how it acts on the network media regardless of physical connections
Explain:
Star network topology
- Each device is connected to a central device using a point-to-point link.
- Central hub receives signals from a node and transmits (repeats) the signal to all other connects nodes.
- The hub manages and controls all network functions
State:
2 advantages of a star network topology
2 of:
* Easy to install, wire and reconfigure
* No disruption to the network when connecting or removing nodes
* Easy to troubleshoot. This is because all data goes through a central point
* Faulty equipment such as network cards, media and nodes can be easily isolated
State:
2 disadvantages of a star network topology
2 of:
* If the hub fails, the network fails
* It requires more cabling than many other topologies
* It can be expensive (mainly due to the cost of the hub)
Explain:
Mesh network topology
- Often used in WANs
- Every devices has a point-to-point contact with every other device in a network - fully connected mesh topology
Because the fully connected approach is impractical, a hybrid approach is sometimes used when critical devices are interconnected (partial mesh topology)
State:
2 advantages of a mesh network topology
2 of:
* No traffic problems because of the dedicated links
* It is more robust than other topologies; if there is a failure in one of the links, it does not impact the whole system
* Data travels down a dedicated line and is more secure
* Fault detection is easier as there are point-to-point links
State:
2 disadvantages of a mesh network topology
- There is a ‘mesh’ of wiring which is difficult to maintain
- Installation is complex and costly; connection between every node
Explain:
Tree network topology
- AKA: Star bus topology
- Groups of star-configured noes are connected to a linear bus (in a tree shape)
State:
2 advantages of a tree network topology
2 of:
* Point-to-point wiring for individual segments
* It supports the expansion of existing networks
* The network can be reconfigured to emet existing needs
* Other nodes on the network are not affected if one node fails
* It provides a hierarchical and central data arrangement of the nodes
State:
2 disadvantages of a tree network topology
2 of:
* The length of the network depends on the cable used
* Network is dependent on the backbone cable - if this fails, the whole network fails
* The bigger the network, the more complicated it becomes to configure
* Limit to the length of each segment within the network that is also dependant on the type of cabling used
* Performance can be slow due to the number of nodes on the network
* Network traffic can be heavy because data travels from the centre cable
* Costly and time consuming to implement with complex maintenance requirements
Explain:
VLAN network topology
- Virtual Local Area Network
- Logically seperate ut networks (e.g seperate departments in a business)
State:
2 advantags of using a VLAN network topology
2 of:
* Provides more security control as each VLAN is a simulated seprate network within a large overall network
* Latency is decreased
* Easier to scale upwards or downwards as each area can be addressed in isolation and not impact other areas on the main network
* Easier to troubleshoot problems on a smalelr network than a larger one
State:
2 disadvantages of using a VLAN network topology
2 of:
* Can be more expensive to implement as additional routers may be required to control traffic on large networks
* Maitenance needs to be carried out using a logical and structured process to maintain existing VLAN segmentation
* Means that implementation planning can take longer than other, simpler setups
