Topology refers to the geometric arrangement of devices on a network. Local Area Networks (LANs) appear in one of three topologies: linear, ring, or star. Larger networks can be a combination of two or more of these.
A linear bus topology is the simplest type of network topology.
All computers, servers, and peripherals are connected by a single cable or bus.
This is great in that it translates to an easy, inexpensive set up, but the entire network is vulnerable to a shut down without any insight into what
part of the network caused the problem. Additionally, the network has to have two terminators at each end.
A ring network has each component connected to two other components in a ring. This saves you on having
to install terminators at the end of the bus like in a linear topology and may also be faster, however, the network is still
vulnerable to faults, where one malfunctioning unit can cause the entire network problems.
A star network consists of a central hub to which all other components are connected. This type of network is more appropriate for larger networks because of its increased fault tolerance, especially compared to ring and bus topologies.
