Network Representation & Topologies
Unit -1
Network Representations
Network diagrams, often called topology diagrams, use
symbols to represent devices within the network.
Important terms to know include:
• Network Interface Card (NIC)
• Physical Port
• Interface
Note: Often, the terms port and interface are used
interchangeably
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Topology Diagrams
Physical topology diagrams illustrate the physical Logical topology diagrams illustrate devices, ports,
location of intermediary devices and cable and the addressing scheme of the network.
installation.
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Interconnection Topology Types
The topology of a network is the geometric representation of the relationship of all the links and linking devices
(usually called nodes) to one another. There are four basic topologies possible: mesh, star, bus, and ring.
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Mesh Topology
• Every device has a dedicated point-to-point link to every other device.
• The term dedicated means that the link carries traffic only between the two devices it connects.
• A fully connected mesh can have n(n-1)/2 physical channels to link n devices.
• Applications:
1. Telephone Regional Office.
2. WAN (Wide Area Network).
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Advantages Disadvantages
• The amount of cabling and the number
• They use dedicated links so each link can
of I/O ports required are very large.
only carry its own data load. So traffic
problem can be avoided.
• The sheer bulk of wiring is larger then
• It is robust the available space.
• It gives privacy and security.
• Hardware required to connect each
• Fault identification and fault tolerance are device is highly expensive.
easy.
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Star Topology
• Each device has a dedicated point to point link to the central controller called “Hub” (Act as a
exchange).
• There is no direct traffic between devices.
• The transmission are occurred only through the central “hub”.
• Applications:
1. Star topology used in Local Area Networks (LANs).
2. High speed LAN often used STAR.
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Advantages Disadvantages
• Less expensive
• Dependency ( whole network dependent
on one single point i.e., hub).
• Installation & configuration is easy.
• Even it requires less cabling then mesh
• Less cabling then mesh. but when compared with other topologies
it still large. (Ring or bus)
• Robust
• Fault identification is easy.
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Bus Topology
• A bus topology is multipoint.
• One long cable act as a backbone to link all the devices are connected to the backbone by drop lines
and taps.
• Drop Line is the connection between the devices and the cable.
• Tap is the splitter that cut the main link.
• This allows only one device to transmit at a time.
• Applications:
1. Most Computer Motherboard.
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Advantages Disadvantages
• Ease of installation.
• Difficult reconfiguration and fault
isolation.
• Less cabling
• Difficult to add new devices.
• If any Fault in backbone can stops all
transmissions.
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Ring Topology
• Each device has a dedicated connection with two devices on either side.
• The signal is passed in one direction from device to device until it reaches the destination and each
device have repeater.
• When one device received signals instead of intended another device, its repeater then regenerates the
data and passes them along.
• To add or delete a device requires changing only two connections.
• Applications:
1. Office Buildings or school computers.
2. Today high speed LANs made this topology less popular.
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Advantages Disadvantages
• Easy to install. • Unidirectional Traffic.
• Easy to reconfigure. • Break in a single ring can break the
entire work.
• Fault identification is easy.
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Types of Connections
A network is two or more devices connected through links. A link is a communications pathway that transfers
data from one device to another.
• Point-to-Point- A point-to-point connection provides a dedicated link between two devices. The entire
capacity of the link is reserved for transmission between those two devices.
• Multipoint- A multipoint (also called multidrop) connection is one in which more than two specific devices
share a single link. The capacity of the channel is shared, either spatially or temporally. If several devices
can use the link simultaneously, it is a spatially shared connection. If users must take turns, it is a timeshared
connection
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Types of Communication
Communication between two devices can be simplex, half duplex or full duplex.
• Simplex: In Simplex mode, the communication is unidirectional. Only one of the two devices on a
link can transmit; the other can only receive.
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Types of Communication (cont.)
Half Duplex: In half-duplex mode, each station can both transmit and receive, but not at the same time. :
When one device is sending, the other can only receive, and vice versa.
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Types of Communication (cont.)
Full-Duplex - In full-duplex mode (also called duplex), both stations can transmit and receive simultaneously.
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