Network Topologies

NETWORK TOPOLOGIES
• A topology refers to the manner in which the
cable is run to individual workstations on the
network.
• A topology is concerned with the physical
arrangement of the network components.
• There are three basic configurations used to
connect computers they are the
• Bus
• Ring
• Star
 Bus topology

• This type of network was widely used in the 1980’s

• In this configuration every computer (node) shares
the networks total bus capacities.
• In this configuration adding more computers will
reduce the access speed on the network.
• Each computer communicates to other computers
on the network independently this is referred to as
PEER-TO-PEER networking
 How a Bus Peer to Peer
Network Works
• All computers on a network have a distinct
address just like your house does
• a message would be send from one
computer with the address of another
computer attached to the message
• The message is broadcasted to all the
computers on the network until the
addressed PC accepts the message
 How it worked
• The type of wires used for Bus Networks in the
80’s were called Thicknet and Thinnet
• A Thicknet cable (very large about 1 inch in
diameter usually yellow was hung around a
room)
• Thinnet cables were connected to the PC’s NIC
and a Transceiver. The Transceiver was tapped
into the Thicknet cable
• To stop the message from bouncing back and
forward down the wire (known as signal bounce)
both ends of the network are terminated with
50Ω resistors
 Problems
• One of the main problems with this type of
network is that it is not very fault tolerant, a
break or defect in the bus would affect the
whole network
 Bus Topology
• Advantages of bus topology:
– Easy to implement and extend
– Well suited for temporary networks that must be set up in a hurry
– Typically the cheapest topology to implement
– Failure of one station does not affect others
• Disadvantages of bus topology:
– Difficult to administer/troubleshoot
– Limited cable length and number of stations
– A cable break can disable the entire network; no redundancy
– Maintenance costs may be higher in the long run
– Performance degrades as additional computers are added
 Star topology

HUB

• In a Star topology every node is connected through a central device

such as a Hub, Switch or Router .
• More cable is required than for a bus topology. However,
this makes adding or moving computers a relatively easy
task; simply plug them into a cable outlet on the wall.
• If a cable is cut, it only affects the computer that was
attached to it. This eliminates the single point of failure
problem associated with the bus topology. (Unless, of
course, the hub itself goes down.)
 Star Topology
• Star topologies are normally implemented
using twisted pair cable, specifically
unshielded twisted pair (UTP). The star
topology is probably the most common
form of network topology currently in use.
 Star Topology
• Advantages of star topology:
– Easy to add new stations
– Easy to monitor and troubleshoot
– Can accommodate different wiring
• Disadvantages of star topology:
– Failure of hub cripples attached stations
– More cable required (more expensive to wire
a building for networking)
 Ring Topology

• A ring topology consists of a set of stations connected serially

by cable. In other words, it’s a circle or ring of computers. There
are no terminated ends to the cable; the signal travels around
the circle in a clockwise (or anticlockwise) direction.
• Note that while this topology functions logically as ring, it is
physically wired as a star. The central connector is not called a
hub but a Multistation Access Unit or MAU.
 Ring Topology
• Under the ring concept, a signal is transferred
sequentially via a "token" from one station to the
next. When a station wants to transmit, it "grabs"
the token, attaches data and an address to it,
and then sends it around the ring. The token
travels along the ring until it reaches the
destination address. The receiving computer
acknowledges receipt with a return message to
the sender. The sender then releases the token
for use by another computer.
• Each station on the ring has equal access but
only one station can talk at a time.
 Ring Topology
• Advantages of ring topology:
– Growth of system has minimal impact on
performance
– All stations have equal access
• Disadvantages of ring topology:
– Most expensive topology
– Failure of one computer may impact others
– Complex
•
Choosing a Topology
The following factors should be considered when choosing a topology:
– Installation
– Maintenance and troubleshooting
– Expected growth
– Distances
– Infrastructure
– Existing network
• As a general rule, a bus topology is the cheapest to install, but may be more
expensive to maintain because it does not provide for redundancy.
• Various topologies can be mixed on the same network.
• One very common example is a large Ethernet network with multiple hubs.
Usually the hubs are located on different floors in a building or perhaps
outside in another building. Each hub is wired in the typical star
configuration. However, the hubs are connected together along a bus,
typically referred to as a ‘backbone.’
• The backbone between hubs might consist of fiber optic cable while the
workstations are wired to each individual hub with UTP (unshielded twisted
pair) cable.
 Cabling
• Coaxial Cable
– Thinnet looks like regular TV cable. It is about 1/4 inch in diameter and
is very flexible and easy to work with.
– Thicknet is about 1/2 inch in diameter and not very flexible. Thicknet is
older and not very common anymore except as a backbone within and
between buildings. Coax transmits at 10 Mbps..
• Twisted Pair. Twisted pair looks like telephone wire and
consists of insulated strands of copper wire twisted together.
There are two versions of twisted pair cable:
– Shielded Twisted Pair (STP). STP is commonly used in Token Ring
networks
– Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP). UTP is used in Ethernet
networks. Transmission rates vary between 10-100-1000-10000 Mbps.
• Fiber-Optic Cable. Fiber-optic cable consists of a thin cylinder
of glass surrounded by glass cladding, encased in protective
outer sheath. Fiber-optic cable is very fast (over 1Gbps). It
can transmit over long distances (2 km +) but is expensive.
 Cabling

• Top: Unshielded Twisted Pair and Shielded Twisted Pair Cable

• Bottom: Coaxial and Optical Fiber Cable
 Media Access Methods
• A media access method refers to the manner in which a
computer gains and controls access to the network’s physical
medium (e.g., cable).
• Common media access methods include the following:
– CSMA/CD
– CSMA/CA
– Token Passing
• One of the primary concerns with media access is how to
prevent packets from colliding when two or more computers try
to transmit simultaneously. Each of the methods listed above
takes a different approach to this problem.
• Data transmitted over a network is sent one bit at a time. A bit is
either a 1 or a 0 represented by a voltage change (on or off) or
a light pulse. If two stations are transmitting at the same time, it
is possible that the signals may overlap, resulting in distorted
data. Such overlapping is referred to as a "collision."
 CSMA/CD
• CSMA/CD stands for Carrier-Sense Multiple Access with
Collision Detection. It is a media access method which
means it defines how the network places data on the cable and
how it takes it off.
• CSMA/CD specifies how bus topologies such as Ethernet
handle transmission collisions. A collision occurs when two or
more computers transmit signals at the same time.
– "Carrier Sense" means that each station on the LAN continually listens
to (tests) the cable for the presence of a signal prior to transmitting.
– "Multiple Access" means that there are many computers attempting to
transmit and compete for the opportunity to send data (i.e., they are in
contention).
– "Collision Detection" means that when a collision is detected, the
stations will stop transmitting and wait a random length of time before
retransmitting.
 CSMA/CD
• Because CSMA/CD works to control or
manage collisions rather than prevent
them, network performance can be
degraded with heavy traffic. The greater
the traffic, the greater the number of
collisions and retransmissions.
• CSMA/CD is used on Ethernet networks.
 CSMA/CD Operation
• In its most simple form it operates as
follows:
– A station that wishes to transmit on the network
checks to see if the cable is free.
– If the cable is free, the station starts transmitting.
– However, another station may have detected a free
cable at the same instant and also start transmitting.
The result is a "collision."
– Once the collision is detected, all stations immediately
stop transmitting.
– Stations then wait a random length of time before
checking the cable and then retransmit
 CSMA/CA
• CSMA/CA stands for Carrier-Sense Multiple Access
with Collision Avoidance and is a media access
method very similar to CSMA/CD.
• The difference is that the CD (collision detection) is
changed to CA (collision avoidance). Instead of detecting
and reacting to collisions, CSMA/CA tries to avoid them
by having each computer signal its intention to transmit
before actually transmitting. In effect, the transmitting
computer gives a 'heads up' prior to transmitting.
• Although CSMA/CA can prevent collisions, it comes with
a cost in the form of the additional overhead incurred by
having each workstation broadcast it's intention prior to
transmitting. Thus, CSMA/CA is slower than CSMA/CD.
• CSMA/CA is used on Apple networks and on WiFi (IEEE
802.11) networks.
 Token Passing
• Token passing is a media access method by which
collisions are prevented.
• Collisions are eliminated under token passing because
only a computer that possesses a free token (a small
data frame) is allowed to transmit. The token passing
method also allows different priorities to be assigned to
different stations on the ring. Transmissions from a
stations with higher priority take precedence over
stations with lower priority.
• Token passing works best in an environment where a
relatively large number of shorter data frames are being
transmitted. (As opposed to CSMA/CD which works best
in an environment where relatively fewer, longer data
frames are being transmitted.)
• Token passing is used on Token Ring networks
 Token Passing Operation
• In its most simple form it operates as follows:
– A station that wishes to transmit on the network waits
until it will receive a free token.
– The sending station transmits its data with the token.
– The data travels to the recipient without stopping at
other stations (it is just relayed).
– The receiving station receives the data and returns
the token to the sender as an acknowledgment.
– The sender receives acknowledgment and releases
the token to next station.
– The token continues being passed along the ring until
it is “seized" by the next station that wants to transmit.