2.4 Network Topologies

• The meaning of network topology
• Physical and logical topologies distinguished
• Physical topologies: bus, star, ring, mesh, tree and hybrid
• Advantages and disadvantages of each physical topology
• Selecting an appropriate topology for a situation
• How topology affects network performance

• differentiate between physical and logical network topologies
• describe the types of logical and physical topologies in computer networking
• create a physical network topology for a computer network
• appreciate the use of network topologies in computer networks

“How does a network topology affect network performance?”

“What is the importance of topologies in networking?”

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1. Network topologies: physical and logical
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   What a topology is, the difference between physical and logical topologies, and the six physical topologies with how each behaves.
2. Choosing a topology, and building one
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   The advantages and disadvantages of each topology set side by side, how to choose for a situation, and how to build and simulate a physical topology.
3. Bus topology: backbone, terminators and collisions
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   How a shared backbone actually carries a frame, why terminators matter, and why collisions killed the bus for modern LANs.
4. Star topology: hubs, switches and a single point of failure
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   The physical star is one cable per device to a centre. Whether that centre is a hub or a switch decides collisions and performance.
5. Ring topology and token passing
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Each device joins two neighbours in a loop. A token grants the right to send, so collisions do not occur; one break still stops a single ring.
6. Mesh topology: full, partial and the cable count
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Every extra path buys reliability. A full mesh of n devices needs n(n-1)/2 links; partial mesh keeps extra paths only where an outage is expensive.
7. Tree and hybrid topologies on a school site
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   A tree is a hierarchy of stars. A hybrid mixes types. A Kenyan multi-block school is usually both.
8. Topology, performance and a working simulation
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Answer the inquiry question by comparing collisions, growth and fault reach, then simulate at least two topologies and record what a cut string does.