Common Networking Topologies

What is a network topology?

It's simply the geography or layout of a network. Which type is best for a particular environment depends on a number of factors, including the number of computers (nodes) on the network and the geographical area. This article examines the most common computer networking topologies.

Bus Topology

With a bus network, a number of computers are connected using a single cable. If one computer wants to communicate with another on the network it simply sends a message through the connecting cable which is then picked up by the requesting, or receiving, computer.

With bus networks, computers normally connect to the main cable using an interface connector. Because there is only one cable connecting all the computers, it's one of the cheapest networking solutions. And it's easy to install and extend. However, if the cable has any type of problem, the whole network goes down.

Star Topology

A star network resembles the hub and spoke model. The hub represents a central computer that is connected to all the other computers on the network with a separate cable running to each. Many home networks also use this topology with a networking hub acting as the central point. This requires a lot more cable than a bus network but, if a cable breaks, only one computer is affected instead of the whole network.

Ring Topology

In a ring network, as you might imagine, the computers are connected to form a circle. Each computer is connected to two others and the start and end points are connected. Information travels from one computer to another in a circle and in one direction only. As in a bus network, the whole network goes down if any one the cables are break or become defective.

Tree Topology

Also known as a hierarchical network, the tree is one of the more complex networking topologies. One top level node is connected point-to-point with a number of nodes on the level below. Each of these nodes can be connected to nodes on the next lower level. A network like this needs at least three levels to be classified as a tree network.

Mesh Topology

In a mesh topology, information can pass between nodes in different directions and by different paths. The internet is a perfect example of a mesh network. However, mesh topologies can also commonly be found in much smaller settings. If every node in a network is directly connected to all others it is known as a full mesh network.

These are the basic types of computer network topologies. Many more complex networks will mix and match these to make much more complex hybrid topologies such as the star-bus or the hierarchical star.

 

Written by: Frank J Klein - CIO

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