There are different network topologies that we can use to connect network devices to each other.
In this network topology, we use a bus – usually a copper cable or an optical fiber cable to connect between network devices. This bus connects to the network devices through connectors that exit from it.
Bus network topology
Ring network topology
In the ring topology, we connect every network device to its neighbor devices;in order to make all thenetwork devices form a ring.
Mesh network topology
In the full mesh topology, we connect every network device to all the network devices that exists in the network.The advantage of this topology is the very high redundancy that it has Very high redundancy means that, if a path to a certain device became unavailable, there still an alternative path that can be used to reach this device.
The disadvantage of the full mesh topology is that, it requires extensive number of connections between the devices.
Partial mesh topology
In the partial mesh topology, every device is connected to some of the devices that exist in its
network, not all devices like the full mesh topology.
The partial mesh topology requires fewer connections than the full mesh topology, which is
considered an advantage. However, its redundancy is less than the full mesh topology.
Tree network topology
device B’ is a central device, called the ‘hub device’, while ‘device A’ and ‘device C’ are called the ‘spoke devices’.
In this topology, the spoke devices talk to each other through the hub device.
The disadvantage of this topology is that, if the hub device became unavailable for any reason, the
communication between spoke devices will not be possible. This is called ‘single point of failure’.
Star network topology
This is the most widely used network topology.
In this topology, we use a central networking device to connect between all the end devices.
