Network Topology

There are 5 types of network topologies:

• Bus topology
• Star topology
• Ring topology
• Mesh topology - (most common)
• Tree topology - (least common)

Topology	Diagram	Advantages	Disadvantages
Bus		Works well when you have a small network. It requires less cable length than other topologies.	It can be difficult to identify problems if whole network goes down. Not great for large networks. Terminators are required for both ends of main cable.
Star		Reliable - if one cable or device fails, then all others continue to work. 0 to little data collisions.	Expensive. It requires a lot of cable length. If the central hub fails, every node in network fails!
Ring		Data transfer is quick. 0 to little data collisions.	If main cable fails, or any device is faulty, whole network fails. Expensive.
Mesh		If 1 of the connections goes down, there will be lots of other routes that can be taken to get to the same destination.	Expensive. Requires the most cable of all topologies. The more nodes you have, the bigger the NIC's become.
Tree		Scalable as leaf modes can accommodate more nodes in hierarchical chain.	Expensive. Lot's of maintenance is required. Backbone forms the point of failure.