Mesh Topology 1.1.5

Mesh Topology (Primary Use)

Commonly used in WANs, especially public networks like the Internet.

Full Mesh Network

A topology requiring that each device has a point-to-point link with every other device on the network.

Formula for Links in a Full Mesh ($n$ nodes)?

$n(n-1)/2$ (The number of links required grows exponentially).

Why is a Full Mesh impractical for large networks?

The number of required links and interfaces is too large (e.g., 40 nodes require 780 links).

Partial Mesh Network

A hybrid approach where only the most important devices are interconnected in the mesh, often with extra links for fault tolerance.

Key benefit of Partial/Full Mesh Topology?

Excellent redundancy and resilience because packets can take multiple routes through the network if a link or node fails.

How do nodes forward packets in a Partial Mesh?

By learning the network topology to find a route to the destination.