NETWORK TOPOLOGIES

A network’s layout, or topology, is the abstract pattern according

to which the network is organized. Topology should not be confused

with the actual wiring path of a network, which is determined by the

physical layout of walls and floors and other environmental factors. The

common network topologies are linear bus, star, and ring.

Linear Bus Networks

A linear bus network makes use of a single path, the bus, to

which each node is connected. Each node has a transceiver, a device

that sends message along the bus in either direction. A given message

contains data, error-checking code, the address of the node sending

the message, and the address of the node that is to receive the

message. As a message passes each node, that node checks the

message for its address. If a node finds its address in a message, it

reads the data, checks for errors in the transmissions, and sends a

message to the sender of the data acknowledging that it was received.

A problem occurs with linear bus networks when two or more

nodes send messages at the same time. This creates an interference

pattern, and when one of the nodes on the network detects this

pattern, it jams the network, stopping all transmissions. Nodes that are

sending messages will wait and resend, repeating the process until a

message gets through without being blocked. Another problem with a

linear bus network is that a broken connection along the bus can bring

the whole network down.

Star Networks

In a star network, each node is connected via its own path to a

central hub. The hub acts as a switching station, reading the addresses

of messages sent by the nodes and routing the messages accordingly.

This arrangement is an improvement over the linear bus topology

because the hub can prevent data collisions and because the rest of

the network can remain operational when a given node’s connection to

the network is broken.

The central hub also prevents any given node from monopolizing

the network. The central hub does this by allowing only a certain

amount of data to pass through from a given node before blocking that

data and polling other nodes for transmissions.

Ring Networks

In a ring network, each node is connected on a circular path. In

the popular ring topology developed by IBM and known as a token-ring

network, a token, which is a code indicating that the network is clear,

circulates continuously around the network until a given node sends a

message. When a node sends a message, it intercepts the token and

changes it to indicate that the network is in use. It also attaches a

message that includes data, error-checking code, and the address of

the node that is to receive the message. The message passes around
the circular path until it reaches its addressee. The node that receives

the message copies it and then passes it back along the path until it

reaches the sender. The sender then removes the message from the

network and changes the token back to its original state to indicate

that the network is clear again. Like a star network, a token-ring

network avoids data collisions, but like a linear bus network, it will go

down if a single connection is broken.

Sarah Emery: Word Chapter 2, Assessment 3, Step 7