Network Topology Flashcards
What is network topology?
The layout pattern of the interconnections between computers in a network is called network topology
What is the simplest network topology?
point to point topology
What is bus topology?
one main cable to which all nodes are directly connected. The main cable acts as a backbone for the network. One of the computers in the network typically acts as the computer server. The first advantage of bus topology is that it is easy to connect a computer or peripheral device. The second advantage is that the cable requirements are relatively small, resulting in lower cost.
One of the disadvantages is that if the main cable breaks, the entire network goes down. This type of network is also difficult to troubleshoot. For these reasons, this type of topology is not used for large networks, such as those covering an entire building.
What is star topology?
computer is connected to a central hub using a point-to-point connection. The central hub can be a computer server that manages the network.
Star topology is very popular because the startup costs are low. It is also easy to add new nodes to the network. The network is robust in the sense that if one connection between a computer and the hub fails, the other connections remain intact. If the central hub fails, however, the entire network goes down. It also requires more cable than bus topology and is, therefore, more expensive.
What is ring topology?
the computers in the network are connected in a circular fashion, and the data travels in one direction. Each computer is directly connected to the next computer, forming a single pathway for signals through the network. This type of network is easy to install and manage.
If there’s a problem in the network, it is easy to pinpoint which connection is defective. It is also good for handling high-volume traffic over long distances since every computer can act as a booster of the signal. On the downside, adding computers to this type of network is more cumbersome, and if one single computer fails, the entire network goes down.
What is mesh topology?
every node has a direct point-to-point connection to every other node. Because all connections are direct, the network can handle very high-volume traffic. It is also robust because if one connection fails, the others remain intact. Security is also high since data travels along a dedicated connection.
What is tree topology?
Tree topology combines multiple star topologies onto a bus. Hub devices for each star topology are connected to the bus. Each hub is like the root of a tree of devices. This provides great flexibility for expanding and modifying the network.
What is a hybrid topology?
uses a combination of two or more topologies. Hybrid networks provide a lot of flexibility, and as a result, they have become the most widely used type of topology. Common examples are star ring networks and star bus networks. Tree topology is one specific example of a star bus network.
What is a physical topology?
describes how network devices are physically connected - in other words, how devices are actually plugged into each other. We’re talking about cables, wireless connectivity, and more.
What is a logical topology?
describes how network devices appear to be connected to each other.
What is the difference between a shared media access network and a token based access network?
in shared devices can transmit at any time, ethernet is shared
in token network, nodes have to wait their turn with the network token before they can transmit
What is a backbone network?
networks designed with high capacity connectivity infrastructure that form the main link, or backbone, connecting the different parts of the network. The network consists of various LANs, WANs, and sub networks.
What are the different types of backbone networks?
The serial backbone: uses two or more connected devices linked to each other by hubs. It’s simple and easy to implement but is only used in small network setups because of its high susceptibility to faults and system downtime.
The distributed backbone: spans a larger network with multiple sub networks connected.
The collapsed backbone: makes use of a single, high specification router that serves as the central connection supporting the rest of the network.
The parallel backbone: employs a system of replicated connections to the backbone infrastructure. It’s a variation of the collapsed backbone, but offers higher fault tolerance capabilities.
Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
802.11a protocol
well suited for the office environment since digital data can be transmitted wirelessly over multiple frequencies. We learned that this is characterized by high speed, but it was vulnerable to obstructive object interference.
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance
802.11b protocol, Ethernet protocol
was then designed with lower speed, wider coverage, and decreased cost. It’s characterized by high bandwidth capacity and good signal range, but it is susceptible to household appliance interference and has a higher cost.
