Network Types and Topologies

Network Types
What is a computer network?

• To answer this question you must first understand what a network is.

• Put simply a network is a number of things that are connected

together in some way. You frequently use networks in everyday life.

• For example a railway network and a road network.

• A computer network is a number of computers linked together to

allow the sharing of resources.
Two Main Types of Networks

• Local Area Network (LAN)

• A LAN covers a small area such

as one site or building, eg a
school or a college.
Two Main Types of Networks

• Wide Area Network (WAN)

• A WAN covers a large

geographical area. Most WANs
are made from several LANs
connected together
Examples of LANs and WANs

LAN WAN
• A school network is usually a • The internet is a WAN.
LAN.
• A network of bank cash
• Your home network is a LAN dispensers is a WAN.
Advantages of networks

• Sharing devices such as printers saves money.

• Site (software) licences are likely to be cheaper than buying several
standalone licences.
• Files can easily be shared between users.
• Network users can communicate by email and instant messenger.
• Security is good - users cannot see other users' files unlike on stand-
alone machines.
• Data is easy to backup as all the data is stored on the file server.
Disadvantages of networks

• Purchasing the network cabling and file servers can be expensive.

• Managing a large network is complicated, requires training and a
network manager usually needs to be employed.
• If the file server breaks down the files on the file server become
inaccessible. Email might still work if it is on a separate server. The
computers can still be used but are isolated.
• Viruses can spread to other computers throughout a computer
network.
• There is a danger of hacking, particularly with wide area networks.
Security procedures are needed to prevent such abuse, eg a firewall.
Group Discussion

A school with 20 • All 20 computers will be able to print to a single

stand alone PCs is printer. Without the network you would need 20
considering printers, or each student would have to wait until
networking them the computer with the printer attached was free.
together and adding • All 20 computers will be able to share an internet
a file server. connection, giving all the students access to the
internet.
• Students can have their own space on the file server,
Consider four improving security when compared to storing the
possible benefits of files locally on each computer.
doing this.
• The file server can be backed up to tape every night
keeping the students' documents safe.
Network Topologies
The Bus Network

• In a bus network all the

workstations, servers and
printers are joined to one cable
(the bus). At each end of the
cable a terminator is fitted to
stop signals reflecting back down
the bus.
Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantages of a bus The disadvantages of a bus

network are: network are:

• if the main cable fails or gets

damaged the whole network will
fail
• it is easy to install
• as more workstations are
• it is cheap to install, as it connected the performance of the
doesn't require much cable network will become slower
because of data collisions
• every workstation on the network
"sees" all of the data on the
network – this is a security risk
The Ring Network

• In a ring network each device

(workstation, server, printer) is
connected to two other devices -
this forms a ring for the signals
to travel around. Each packet of
data on the network travels in
one direction and each device
receives each packet in turn
until the destination device
receives it.
Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantage of a ring The disadvantage of a ring

network is: network are:

• This type of network can • However, the real disadvantage is

transfer data quickly, even if that if the main cable fails or any
there are a large number of device is faulty, then the whole
devices connected because the network will fail.
data only flows in one
direction, so there won’t be
any data collisions.
The Star Network

• In a star network each device on

the network has its own cable
that connects to a switch or hub.
A hub sends every packet of data
to every device, whereas a
switch only sends a packet of
data to the destination device.

• This is the most common type of

network topology used.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The advantages of a star
network are:
• it is very reliable – if one cable
or device fails then all the
others will continue to work
• it is high-performing as no
data collisions can occur
The disadvantages of a star
network are:
• it is expensive to install as this type
of network uses the most cable
(network cable is expensive)
• extra hardware is required (hubs or
switches) which adds to cost
• if a hub or switch fails, all the
devices connected to it will have
no network connection
End of Presentation