What is network topology and its Types

What is network topology? Before knowing this, you have to know what is the network? And what is a computer network? After knowing these basic terms, you can easily understand the network topology.

Topics

• What is a network?
• What is network topology?
• Types of network topology

1. Bus Topology
   Transmission media for bus topology
   Advantages of bus topology
   Disadvantages of bus topology
2. Ring Topology
   Advantages of ring topology
   Disadvantages of ring topology
3. Star Topology
   Advantages of star topology
   Disadvantages of star topology
4. Mesh Topology
   Advantages of mesh topology
   Disadvantages of mesh topology
5. Tree Topology
   Benefits of tree topology
   Disadvantages of tree topology
6. Hybrid Topology
   Advantages of hybrid topology
   Disadvantages of Hybrid Topology
   Last word

What is a network

A network is a communication system that is connected between multiple users, due to which you can share communication or resources among themselves.

If we look at the term of the network by connecting it to the computer, then the series of interconnected computers is called network or computer network. Which works to communicate among themselves. There are many ways to create a computer network, using one of which you can create a computer network.

What is network topology

Network topology refers to the physical representation of the links and nodes of your computer network. The geometric representation of the links and nodes of a computer network shows the topology of that network.

If you also want to create a computer network, then you also have to follow the standard network topology to create a network. When creating a computer network, the size of the computer network, the area of ​​the network, the cost of the network, many such things are studied, and it is decided which topology is the best for this network.

There are 6 types of network topology in the computer network, out of which you can choose according to you and make your network.

Types of network topology

Given below are the types of major 6 network topologies which are considered to be the most basic. Due to which you can create your own computer network.

• Bus Topology
• Ring Topology
• Star Topology
• Mesh Topology
• Tree Topology
• Hybrid Topology

Now we know all types of network topology in detail. In which we are also going to take an example of each topology and understand that example through a diagram.

1 Bus Topology

• Bus topology is used when the network size is small and simple.
• The bus topology is also called passive topology, as it uses simple cables for network connections, for which some extra hardware is rarely used, or it is also added computer to computer.
• If we talk about the working of the bus topology, then in the bus topology, the sender computer sends any message to all the computers in the network. Then the computer with which the receiver’s address matches, accepts that message, and all other computers reject that message.
• A computer network built from a bus topology is slow, as it can send only one computer message at a time. If you want to send a message to another computer at the same time, then you have to wait until the first computer is finished processing.

Transmission media for bus topology

Connection is done through the below given in the bus topology, there are some bus LANs given below, due to which we can create BUS Topology.

• Twisted pair cable
• Baseband co-axial cable
• Broadband co-axial cable
• Optical fiber

Advantages of bus topology

• The topology is easy to understand and easy to build.
• All the cables that are used to make the topology work, because we can build a network even with a small cable in the bus topology.
• If you want, you can easily extend the network built from the topology, all you need to do is to connect the cables using the BNC barrel connector.

Disadvantages of bus topology

If the size of your network is large, then you simply cannot use the topology.
If any one cable or BNC connector in your network goes bad then your entire network will crash.

2 Ring Topology

• Each computer in the ring topology is connected to the next computer, and the previous computer is already connected. This topology forms a ring-like structure with its connection, hence it is called RING topology.
• Ring topology is used for high performance networks where large bandwidth is required.
• Each computer connects to its next computer in a ring. A ring is an active network.
• In the ring topology, the flow of the message is in one direction. There is no termination of flow because there is no end of the ring.
• Talking about working of ring topology, tokens are used for message passing. A token is sent to the ring by the sender computer. Then he starts moving around in the ring, each computer accepts it and if the address given in the token matches, the communication of the message is made or if it does not match, then it passes.

Advantages of ring topology

• In ring topology, every computer has the same right to access tokens.
• Standing waves are not produced in ring topology.

Disadvantages of ring topology

• If a single computer in the ring topology network malfunctions, the entire network will crash.
• If there are any problems in the ring topology network, then it is a little difficult to fix.
• If you think of adding or leaving any new computer, then the entire network will have to be shut down for some time.

3 Star Topology

• In the star topology all computers are connected by a single cable to a single point in the central network called a hub. In which computers are not directly connected, they are connected to each other by means of a hub.
• If we talk about the working of Star Network, then the Sender sends the message to the Computer Hub, then Resends the Hub Message and sends the message to the Destination Computer.

• The hub in a Star network can be an active or passive hub. The active hub that it generates generates electrical signals and sends it to all computers.
• The second is a passive hub, it does not require any type of electrical signal, it only acts as a connector.
• Star networks use a different type of cable for connection. If you have any type of cable, you can connect them to the network through a hybrid hub.
• If you want to extend the network built from the start topology, all you have to do is add another hub.

Advantages of star topology

In start topology we can use any type of cable.
The entire network does not crash if any of the computers connected in the network malfunction.
A network built from the start topology can be easily extended or reduced.

Disadvantages of star topology

• If the central hub of the network fails, then the entire network will crash.
• If the network traffic is to rebroadcast or switch, then some type of device has to be used.
• The cost of cabling in this network is high.

4 Mesh Topology

• In mesh topology, each computer is directly connected to another computer.
• Talking about a full connected mesh topology, n (n-1) / 2 physical cable is connected to n device. That is why mesh topology requires much more cables.
• In mesh topology, each computer can be connected to each other because of the high cost of cables.

Advantages of mesh topology

• Due to each computer being connected to each other, the reliability of the data is high.
• If any computer in the mesh topology network fails, the entire network can never crash.
• Mesh topology is more secure in the network, as each message is sent through a dedicated link.
• Any problem can be easily rectified due to point to point network.

Disadvantages of mesh topology

• Installation and configuration is very high because each computer is connected to each other.
• The cost of cable increases too much.
• The hardware cable used to build a mesh topology network costs a lot.

5 Tree Topology

• Tree topology is considered to be the advanced topology of star topology. As you have seen that all the nodes in the star topology are connected to each other from a central point which is called a hub.

• But the only difference in the tree is that not every computer in it is connected to the same hub. Here some computers are connected to a hub. And many of the secondary hubs have small star networks connected to a central hub, also called a parent node, and the same network topology is called a tree topology.

• Any central hub in a tree network is an active hub that carries a repeater. The repeater serves to boost the signal again.
• But all secondary hubs in tree network topology can be active or passive.

Benefits of tree topology

• Tree topology allows us to add multiple devices on a single hub. Due to this, the carrying capacity of the message increases.
• In tree topology, if any computer in the network goes bad, the entire network does not crash.
• In the tree topology, if the secondary hub is too bad, then the entire network does not crash, only that part stops working.

Disadvantages of tree topology

• If the central hub goes bad, the entire network will crash.
• The cost of cable used in tree topology increases significantly.

6 Hybrid Topology

• Till now we have learned about Bus Topology, Ring Topology, Star Topology, Mesh Topology, Tree Topology. This is all basic 5 network topology.
• But the topology we create by mixing two or more basic topologies together is called a hybrid network topology.
• We can make hybrid network according to our own.
• Hybrid topology is used at the maximum space. Because in large organization, the needs of all applications are different, the network is made accordingly.

Advantages of hybrid topology

• We can make the network according to our own.
• Hybrid technology is more suitable for building large networks.
• A network built from a hybrid topology never crashes.

Disadvantages of Hybrid Topology

• A network built from a hybrid topology is a bit harder to understand.
• Hybrid topology is mostly suitable for large organization, it is not suitable for small usage.

Last word

So guys, what do you hope is a network topology ?, what is a network ?, what is the type of network topology? Details of all these topics will be found in detail. If you have any doubt in your mind, then you can ask in the comment. And if you want to read similar articles related to computer or any technology, then subscribe is necessary.
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