What is a Network?
A network is a group of two or more computers or other electronic devices that are interconnected for the purpose of exchanging data and sharing resources through cables, telephone lines, radio waves, satellites, or infrared light beams.
Types of Network
LAN – Local Area Network
A network contained within one building or over several buildings on a site is called a Local Area Network (LAN).
MAN – Metropolitan Area Network
A network that spans several sites across a city is called a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN).
WAN – Wide Area Network
A network that spans several cities, country or even the world is called a Wide Area Network (WAN).A Client/Server network may be a LAN, MAN or WAN, however a peer-to-peer network can only be a LAN. The most famous and widely used Wide Area Network is the Internet, which contains many thousands of servers and many millions of clients right across the world.
Network Topologies:
A Bus topology consists of a single cable—called a backbone— connecting all nodes on a network without intervening connectivity devices
Devices share responsibility for getting data from one point to another
Terminators stop signals after reaching end of wire
Prevent signal bounce
Inexpensive, not very scalable
Difficult to troubleshoot, not fault-tolerant
Ring topology is a type of network topology in which each device is connected to two other devices on either side via an RJ-45 cable or coaxial cable.
This forms a circular ring of connected devices which gives it its name.
Advantages of Ring Topology
Since data flows in one direction, the chance of a packet collision is reduced
A network server is not needed to control network connectivity
Devices can be added without impacting network performance
Easy to identify and isolate single points of failure
Better suited for high traffic environments than a bus topology.
Disadvantages of Ring Topology
All data travelling over the network must pass through each device on its way to its destination, which can reduce performance
If one device fails, the entire network is impacted
Can be difficult to architect the necessary cabling
More expensive to implement than a bus topology
Bus topology
Bus topology is a specific kind of network topology in which all of the various devices in the network are connected to a single cable or line.
Advantages of Bus Topology
Works efficiently for small networks
Easy and cost-effective to install and add or remove devices
Doesn’t require as much cabling as alternative topologies
If one device fails, other devices are not impacted
Disadvantages of Bus Topology
If the cable is damaged, the entire network will fail or be split
Difficult to troubleshoot problems
Very slow and not ideal for larger networks
Adding more devices and more network traffic decreases the entire network’s performance
Low security due to all devices receiving the same signal from the source
Full Mesh topology
A mesh topology is a network setup where each computer and network device is interconnected with one another.
This topology setup allows for most transmissions to be distributed even if one of the connections goes down.
Advantages of Mesh Topology
Multiple devices can transmit data at the same time, allowing for high amounts of traffic
If one device fails, data transmission is not impacted in the rest of the network
Adding devices to the network does not disrupt data transmission
Troubleshooting is easier than with alternative topologies
Disadvantages of Mesh Topology
Network installation and maintenance is time and resource intensive
High power requirement due to all the devices needing to remain active all the time
Requires a large amount of cables and ports
The potential for a large amount of redundant connections increases costs and reduces efficiency
