Bus Topology Bus networks (not to be confused with the system bus of a computer) use a common backbone to connect

all devices. A single cable, the backbone functions as a shared communication medium that devices attach or tap into with an interface connector. A device wanting to communicate with another device on the network sends a broadcast message onto the wire that all other devices see, but only the intended recipient actually accepts and processes the message. Ethernet bus topologies are relatively easy to install and don't require much cabling compared to the alternatives. 10Base-2 ("ThinNet") and 10Base-5 ("ThickNet") both were popular Ethernet cabling options many years ago for bus topologies. However, bus networks work best with a limited number of devices. If more than a few dozen computers are added to a network bus, performance problems will likely result. In addition, if the backbone cable fails, the entire network effectively becomes unusable.

Bus networks are the simplest as well as the easiest way to connect multiple clients, but may have problems when two clients want to transmit at the same time on the same bus. Thus systems which use bus network architectures normally have some scheme of collision handling or collision avoidance for communication on the bus, quite often using Carrier Sense Multiple Access or the presence of a bus master which controls access to the shared bus resource. A true bus network is passive the computers on the bus simply listen for a signal; they are not responsible for moving the signal along. However, many active architectures can also be described as a "bus", as they provide the same logical functions as a passive bus; for example, switched Ethernet can still be regarded as a logical network, if not a physical one. Indeed, the hardware may be abstracted away completely in the case of a software bus. With the dominance of switched Ethernet over passive Ethernet, passive bus networks are uncommon in wired networks. However, almost all current wireless networks can be viewed as examples of passive bus networks, with radio propagation serving as the shared passive medium. The bus topology makes the addition of new devices straightforward. In this type of network, clients are referred to as stations orworkstations. Bus network topology uses a broadcast channel which means that all attached stations can hear every transmission and all stations have equal priority in using the network [1] to transmit data. The original Ethernet bus topology works like a big telephone party line before any device can send a packet, devices on the bus must first determine that no other device is sending a packet on the cable. When a device sends its packet out over the bus, every other network card on the bus sees and reads the packet. Ethernets scheme of having devices communicate as if in a chat room is called Carrier Sense Multiple Access / Collision Detection (CSMA/CD). Sometimes two cards talk (send packets) at the same time. This creates a collision, and the cards themselves arbitrate to decide which one will resend its packet first. All PCs on a bus network share a common wire, which also means they share the data transfer capacity of that wire or, in tech terms, they share its bandwidth.

Advantages[edit]
Ease of installation. Simple and cheap. Minimizes the amount of cable needed to connect the network.

Disadvantages[edit]
If the main cable fails, all the other sources will die. Reconfiguration, fault isolation and installation of new devices tend to be difficult since the network is designed to be most efficient during installation. The longer the distance covered by a signal along the shared communication line the greater the heat is produced due to energy being transformed to heat making the signal weaker the further it travels. A fault along the shared communication line stops all transmissions in the network. Connection Limitation can also occur. Data can be transmitted only in one direction and is removed from the line once it reaches the end of the line else it will lead to repetition.

Ring Topology

A ring network is a network topology in which each node connects to exactly two other nodes, forming a single continuous pathway for signals through each node - a ring. Data travels from node to node, with each node along the way handling every packet. Because a ring topology provides only one pathway between any two nodes, ring networks may be [1] disrupted by the failure of a single link. A node failure or cable break might isolate every node attached to the ring.

FDDI networks overcome this vulnerability by sending data on a clockwise and a counterclockwise ring: in the event of a break data is wrapped back onto the complementary ring before it reaches the end of the cable, maintaining a path to every node along the resulting "C-Ring". Many ring networks add a "counter-rotating ring" to form a redundant topology. Such "dual ring" networks include Spatial Reuse Protocol, Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), and Resilient Packet Ring. 802.5 networks -- also known as IBM Token Ring networksavoid the weakness of a ring topology altogether: they actually use a startopology at the physical layer and a Multistation Access Unit (MAU) to imitate a ring at the datalink layer.

Advantages[edit]
See also: Ring Protection Very orderly network where every device has access to the token and the opportunity to transmit Performs better than a bus topology under heavy network load Does not require a central node to manage the connectivity between the computers Due to the point to point line configuration of devices with a device on either side (each device is connected to its immediate neighbour), it is quite easy to install and reconfigure since adding or removing a device requires moving just two connections. Point to point line configuration makes it easy to identify and isolate faults.

Disadvantages[edit]
One malfunctioning workstation can create problems for the entire network. This can be solved by using a dual ring or a switch that closes off the break. Moving, adding and changing the devices can affect the network Communication delay is directly proportional to number of nodes in the network Bandwidth is shared on all links between devices More difficult to configure than a Star: node adjunction Ring shutdown and reconfiguration

Misconceptions

Star Topology Many home networks use the star topology. A star network features a central connection point called a "hub node" that may be a network hub, switch orrouter. Devices typically connect to the hub with Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Ethernet. Compared to the bus topology, a star network generally requires more cable, but a failure in any star network cable will only take down one computer's network access and not the entire LAN. (If the hub fails, however, the entire network also fails.)

Star networks are one of the most common computer network topologies. In its simplest form, a star network consists of one central switch, hub or computer, which act as a conduit to transmit messages. This consists of a central node, to which all other nodes are connected; this central node provides a common connection point for all nodes through a hub. In star topology, every node (computer workstation or any other peripheral) is connected to a central node called a hub or switch. The switch is the server [1] and the peripherals are the clients. Thus, the hub and leaf nodes, and the transmission lines between them, form a graph with the topology of a star. If the central node is passive, the originating node must be able to tolerate the reception of an echo of its own transmission, delayed by the two-way transmission time (i.e. to and from the central node) plus any delay generated in the central node. An active star network has an active central node that usually has the means to prevent echo-related problems. The star topology reduces the damage caused by line failure by connecting all of the systems to a central node. When applied to a bus-based network, this central hub rebroadcasts all transmissions received from any peripheral node to all peripheral nodes on the network, sometimes including the originating node. All peripheral nodes may thus communicate with all others by transmitting to, and receiving from, the central node only. The failure of a transmission line linking any peripheral node to the central node will result in the isolation of that peripheral node from all others, but the rest of the systems will be [2] unaffected. It is also designed with each node (file servers, workstations, and peripherals) connected directly to a central network hub, switch, orconcentrator. Data on a star network passes through the hub, switch, or concentrator before continuing to its destination. The hub, switch, or concentrator manages and controls all functions of the network. It also acts as a repeater for the data flow. This configuration is common with twisted pair cable. However, it can also be used with coaxial cable or optical fibre cable.
Contents
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1 Advantages 2 Disadvantages 3 See also 4 References

Advantages[edit]
Better performance: star topology prevents the passing of data packets through an excessive number of nodes. At most, 3 devices and 2 links are involved in any communication between any two devices. Although this topology places a huge overhead on the central hub, with adequate capacity, the hub can handle very high utilization by one device without affecting others. Isolation of devices: Each device is inherently isolated by the link that connects it to the hub. This makes the isolation of individual devices straightforward and amounts to disconnecting each device from the others. This isolation also prevents any non-centralized failure from affecting the network. Benefits from centralization: As the central hub is the bottleneck, increasing its capacity, or connecting additional devices to it, increases the size of the network very easily. Centralization also allows the inspection of traffic through the network. This facilitates analysis of the traffic and detection of suspicious behavior. Easy to detect faults and to remove parts. No disruptions to the network when connecting or removing devices. Installation and configuration is easy since every one device only requires a link and one input/output port to connect it to any other device(s).

Disadvantages[edit]
High dependence of the system on the functioning of the central hub. Failure of the central hub renders the network inoperable There is central server dependency. Expensive to purchase. Requires a large amount of cable to be connected.

Mesh Topology Mesh topologies involve the concept of routes. Unlike each of the previous topologies, messages sent on a mesh network can take any of several possible paths from source to destination. (Recall that

even in a ring, although two cable paths exist, messages can only travel in one direction.) Some WANs, most notably the Internet, employ mesh routing. A mesh network in which every device connects to every other is called a full mesh. As shown in the illustration below, partial mesh networks also exist in which some devices connect only indirectly to others.

Mesh networking (topology) is a type of network topology where each node must not only capture and disseminate its own data, but also serve as a relay for other nodes, that is, it must collaborate to propagate the data in the network. A mesh network can be designed using a flooding technique or a routing technique. When using a routing technique, the message is propagated along a path, by hopping from node to node until the destination is reached. To ensure all its paths' availability, a routing network must allow for continuous connections and reconfiguration around broken or blocked paths, usingself-healing algorithms. A mesh network whose nodes are all connected to each other is a fully connected network. Mesh networks can be seen as one type of ad hoc network. Mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) and mesh networks are therefore closely related, but MANET also have to deal with the problems introduced by the mobility of the nodes. The self-healing capability enables a routing based network to operate when one node breaks down or a connection goes bad. As a result, the network is typically quite reliable, as there is often more than one path between a source and a destination in the network. Although mostly used in wireless situations, this concept is also applicable to wired networks and software interaction.

Advantages[edit]
Point-to-point line configuration makes identification and isolation of faults easy. Messages travel through a dedicated line, directly to the intended recipient; privacy and security are thus enhanced. Should a fault occur in a given link, only those communications between that specific pair of devices sharing the link will be affected.

Disadvantages[edit]
The more extensive the network, in terms of scope or of physical area, the greater the investment necessary to build it will be, due, among other considerations, to the amount of cabling and the number of hardware ports it will require. For this reason, such networks are uncommon. Because every device must be connected to every other device, installation and reconnection are difficult. The huge bulk of the wiring can often be greater than the available space in the ceiling or under floors [dubious discuss] can accommodate.

Hybrid[edit]
Hybrid networks use a combination of any two or more topologies in such a way that the resulting network does not exhibit one of the standard topologies (e.g., bus, star, ring, etc.). For example a tree network connected to a tree network is still a tree network topology. A hybrid topology is always produced when two different basic network topologies are connected. Two common examples for Hybrid network are: star ring network and star bus network A Star ring network consists of two or more star topologies connected using a multistation access unit (MAU) as a centralized hub. A Star Bus network consists of two or more star topologies connected using a bus trunk (the bus trunk serves as the network's backbone).

While grid and torus networks have found popularity in high-performance computing applications, some systems have used genetic algorithms to design custom networks that have the fewest possible hops in between different nodes. Some of the resulting layouts are nearly incomprehensible, although they [citation needed] function quite well. A Snowflake topology is really a "Star of Stars" network, so it exhibits characteristics of a hybrid network topology but is not composed of two different basic network topologies being connected. Definition: Hybrid topology is a combination of Bus, Star and ring topology.

Advantages&of&Hybrid&Network&Topology 1) Reliable:'Unlike'other'networks,'fault'detection'and'troubleshooting'is' easy'in'this'type'of'topology.'The'part'in'which'fault'is'detected'can'be' isolated'from'the'rest'of'network'and'required'corrective'measures'can' be'taken,'without'affecting'the'functioning'of'rest'of'the'network.' 2) Scalable:'It'is'easy'to'increase'the'size'of'network'by'adding'new'

components,'without'disturbing'existing'architecture.' 3) Flexible:'Hybrid'Network'can'be'designed'according'to'the' requirements'of'the'organization'and'by'optimizing'the'available' resources.'Special'care'can'be'given'to'nodes'where'traffic'is'high'as'well' as'where'chances'of'fault'are'high.' 4) Effective:'Hybrid'topology'is'the'combination'of'two'or'more' topologies,'so'we'can'design'it'in'such'a'way'that'strengths'of'constituent' topologies'are'maximized'while'there'weaknesses'are'neutralized.'For' example'we'saw'Ring'Topology'has'good'data'reliability'(achieved'by'use' of'tokens)'and'Star'topology'has'high'tolerance'capability'(as'each'node'is' not'directly'connected'to'other'but'through'central'device),'so'these'two' can'be'used'effectively'in'hybrid'starBring'topology.'

1)'Complexity'of'Design:'One'of'the'biggest'drawbacks'of'hybrid'topology'is ' its'design.'It'is'not'easy'to'design'this'type'of'architecture'and'it'is'a'tough'j ob' for'designers.'Configuration'and'installation'process'needs'to'be'very' efficient. 2)'Costly'Hub:'The'hubs'used'to'connect'two'distinct'networks,'are'very' expensive.'These'hubs'are'different'from'usual'hubs,'as'they'need'to'be' intelligent'enough'to'work'with'different'architectures'and'should'be' function'even'if'a'part'of'network'is'down. 3) Costly'Infrastructure:'As'hybrid'architectures'are'usually'larger'in'scale,'

they'require'a'lot'of'cables;'cooling'systems,'and'sophisticate'network' devices.

Advantages of Hybrid Network Topology

1) Reliable : Unlike other networks, fault detection and troubleshooting is easy in this type of topology. The part in which fault is detected can be isolated from the rest of network and required corrective measures can be taken, WITHOUT affecting the functioning of rest of the network. 2) Scalable: Its easy to increase the size of network by adding new components, without disturbing existing architecture. 3) Flexible: Hybrid Network can be designed according to the requirements of the organization and by optimizing the available resources. Special care can be given to nodes where traffic is high as well as where chances of fault are high. 4) Effective: Hybrid topology is the combination of two or more topologies, so we can design it in such a way that strengths of constituent topologies are maximized while there weaknesses are neutralized. For example we saw Ring Topology has good data reliability (achieved by use of tokens) and Star topology has high tolerance capability (as each node is not directly connected to other but through central device), so these two can be used effectively in hybrid star-ring topology.

Disadvantages of Hybrid Topology

1) Complexity of Design: One of the biggest drawback of hybrid topology is its design. Its not easy to design this type of architecture and its a tough job for designers. Configuration and installation process needs to be very efficient. 2) Costly Hub: The hubs used to connect two distinct networks, are very expensive. These hubs are different from usual hubs as they need to be intelligent enough to work with different architectures and should be function even if a part of network is down. 3) Costly Infrastructure: As hybrid architectures are usually larger in scale, they require a lot of cables, cooling systems, sophisticate network devices, etc.

Tree[edit]

Tree network topology This section may be confusing or unclear to readers. (June 2011)

This particular type of network topology is based on a hierarchy of nodes. The highest level of any tree network consists of a single, 'root' node, this node connected either a single (or, more commonly, multiple) node(s) in the level below by (a) point-to-point link(s). These lower level nodes are also connected to a single or multiple nodes in the next level down. Tree networks are not constrained to any number of levels, but as tree networks are a variant of the bus network topology, they are prone to crippling network failures should a connection in a higher level of nodes fail/suffer damage. Each node in the network has a specific, fixed number of nodes connected to it at the next lower level in the hierarchy, this number referred to as the 'branching factor' of the tree. This tree has individual peripheral nodes. 1. A network that is based upon the physical hierarchical topology must have at least three levels in the hierarchy of the tree, since a network with a central 'root' node and only one hierarchical level below it would exhibit the physical topology of a star. 2. A network that is based upon the physical hierarchical topology and with a branching factor of 1 would be classified as a physical linear topology. 3. The branching factor, f, is independent of the total number of nodes in the network and, therefore, if the nodes in the network require ports for connection to other nodes the total number of ports per node may be kept low even though the total number of nodes is large this makes the effect of the cost of adding ports to each node totally dependent upon the branching factor and may therefore be kept as low as required without any effect upon the total number of nodes that are possible. 4. The total number of point-to-point links in a network that is based upon the physical hierarchical topology will be one less than the total number of nodes in the network. 5. If the nodes in a network that is based upon the physical hierarchical topology are required to perform any processing upon the data that is transmitted between nodes in

the network, the nodes that are at higher levels in the hierarchy will be required to perform more processing operations on behalf of other nodes than the nodes that are lower in the hierarchy. Such a type of network topology is very useful and highly recommended.

Advantages[edit]
It is scalable. Secondary nodes allow more devices to be connected to a central node. Point to point connection of devices. Having different levels of the network makes it more manageable hence easier fault identification and isolation.

Disadvantages[edit]
Maintenance of the network may be an issue when the network spans a great area. Since it is a variation of bus topology, if the backbone fails, the entire network is crippled.

definition: Tree topology is a combination of Bus and Star topology. An example of this network could be cable TV technology. Other examples are in dynamic tree based [6] wireless networks for military, mining and otherwise mobile applications. The Naval Postgraduate [7] School, Monterey CA, demonstrated such tree based wireless networks for border security. In a pilot system, aerial cameras kept aloft by balloons relayed real time high resolution video to ground personnel via a dynamic self healing tree based network.