Networking

Network

Network

A connection of two or more devices that communicate and share resources together

LAN (local area network)

A network that is shared across a small geographical area

WAN (wide area network)

A network that is shared across a large geographical area

Protocols

A set of rules which define how two computers communicate with each other

Bus Topology

All devices are connected to a backbone cable the ends are connected to a terminator

Advantages of bus topology

• Inexpensive to setup

• Doesn’t require addition hardware

Disadvantages of bus topology

• If backbone cable fails, entire network gets disconnected

• Increased traffic means performance decreases

• All computers can see data transmission

Star topology

Uses a central node (switch) to direct data through the network. MAC addresses are used to identify each device on the network

Advantages of star topology

• Performance is consistent

• If a cable fails, only that terminal fails

• transmits data faster

• Easy to add new stations

• No data collisions

Disadvantages of star topology

• Expensive due to switch + cables

• If the central switch fails, so does the rest

Physical mesh topology

Every node is connected to every other node, commonly found in wireless technology e.g. wifi

Advantages of physical mesh topology

• Wireless = no cable cost

• More nodes = becomes faster + more reliable

• Nodes are automatically incorporated

• Doesn’t use central switch = increases speed

Disadvantages of physical mesh topology

• Wireless devices increase cost

• If wired, a lot of cable is required = more expensive

• Maintaining the network is difficult