Star Topology

In a star topology every device in the network has a dedicated point to point link to a central hub. The device not connected to each other in this network. Therefore all traffic flows through the central hub. If one device want to send data to another one then it must be sent to the central controller, which further relays data to other device.

Advantages:

1. This is less expensive.
2. One link and one input/output port  is required.
3. Easy installation and reconfiguration.
4. Less cabling is required.
5. If one link fails then other remain active to communicate.
6. Make fault identification and isolation easy.

Disadvantages:


1. The only major disadvantage is that if the central hub or controller fails then the entire network goes down.

Read More!

Mesh Topology

In a mesh topology every device has a dedicated point to point link to every other device. The term dedicated means that the link carries traffic between the only two connected devices. Therefore in a mesh topology used network has n(n-1)/2 links to n devices. For these links each device must have n-1 input/ouput ports.


Advantages:

1. Traffice errors resolved as each link carries its own data.
2. The disconnection of one link do not disturb the other links and network.
3. The privacy and security remains as only receipent can see the data using a dedicated link.
4. Using the dedicated link to locate the fault and to isolate is much easy.

Disadvantages:


1. The much number of cables and ports in devices are required.
2. Also the installation and reconfiguration is difficult.
3. More space is required for the cabling.

Therefore the mesh topology is apllied to a limited networks or it is used as a backbone in hybrid networks.

Read More!

Topology

The term topology refer to the representation of a network laid out either physically or logically.
When two or more devices are connected to a link then two or more links form a topology. It show the links of the entire network with the devcies attached for communication.

There are five basic topologies used for the communicating devices.

1. Mesh Topology
2. Star Topology
3. Tree Topology
4. Bus Topology
5. Ring Topology

There are two possible relationships for connecting the devices.


Peer-to-Peer
In peer to peer devices share the same link equally.

Primary-Secondary
In primary secondry devices one device controls the traffic and the others communicate through it.

Mesh and Ring topologies mostly use the peer to peer transmission. While Tree and Star topologies convenient for primary secondry connections. But Bus topology is equally convenient to both peer to peer and primary secondary.

Read More!