Network topology

Network topology 

is the arrangement of the various elements (links, nodes, etc.) of a computer network.Essentially, it is the topological structure of a network, and may be depicted physically or logically. Physical topology refers to the placement of the network's

various components, including device location and cable installation, while logical topology shows how data flows within a network, regardless of its physical design. Distances between nodes, physical interconnections, transmission rates, and/or signal types may differ between two networks, yet their topologies may be identical.

A good example is a local area network (LAN): Any given node in the LAN has one or more physical links to other devices in the network; graphically mapping these links results in a geometric shape that can be used to describe the physical topology of the network. Conversely, mapping the data flow between the components determines the logical topology of the network.

There are two basic categories of network topologies:

1. Physical topologies
2. Logical topologies

The study of network topology recognizes eight basic topologies:

• Point-to-point
• Bus
• Star
• Ring or circular
• Mesh
• Tree
• Hybrid
• Daisy chain

bus topology: All devicesare connected to a central cable, called the bus or backbone. Bus networks are relatively inexpensive and easy to install for small networks. Ethernet systems use a bus topology.

Ring Topology : All devices are connected to one another in the shape of a closed loop, so that each device is connected directly to two other devices, one on either side of it. Ring topologies are relatively expensive and difficult to install, but they offer high bandwidth and can span large distances.

Star topology: All devices are connected to a central hub. Star networks are relatively easy to install and manage, but bottlenecks can occur because all data must pass through the hub. Resources: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/T/topology.html