What Is A Network Topology?

Date First Published: 23rd May 2022

Topic: Computer Networking

Subtopic: Network Setups

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty Level: 5/10

Learn more about what a network topology is in this article.

A network topology is the physical or logical structure of a network that defines how its links and nodes are connected with each other. Physical network topologies define the physical structure and layout of the node and connections and logical network topologies define the structure of data transmission between nodes as well as which nodes connect and how.

The network topology is often chosen based on the requirements of a business, school, or users. No network topology is 100% perfect and every topology has advantages and disadvantages. By assessing the advantages and disadvantages of each network topology, it can be worked out which topology is most suitable for an organisation.

Factors that are considered when choosing the type of network topology include:

• The length of cable required.
• The cost.
• The cable type.
• The number of nodes and size of the network.

Note:

A node could be any physical or electronic device that is connected to a network, such as a router, network switch, hub, desktop computer, laptop computer, mobile phone, tablet, etc. All nodes have a unique network address that uniquely identifies them. This could be a MAC address or an IP address.

Types Of Network Topologies

Eight types of network topologies exist, which include:

• Point-to-point topology – The simplest type of network topology where two nodes are directly connected to each other. It is a one-to-one type of connection.
• Bus topology - A type of network topology where connected devices of the network are directly connected to a single cable, known as a backbone.
• Ring topology - A type of network topology where every network device connects to exactly two other network devices. This forms a ring for the signals to travel.
• Star topology - The most common network setup. A type of network topology where every network device has its own cable that connects to a router or switch.
• Mesh topology - Each node connects to every other node. It is a network setup where each computer and network device is interconnected with each other.
• Tree topology - A combination of the features of star and bus topologies. Connected elements are arranged in a similar way to the branches of a tree. It is a network topology where there can only be one connection between any two connected nodes.
• Hybrid topology – A network topology that is a combination of two or more different topologies. For example, a star-ring hybrid topology is a combination of the star and ring topology, where two or more star topologies are connected to each other through a ring topology.