Network Topologies Basics: 39 flashcards
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1. What is network topology?
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Network topology is the arrangement of nodes and connections in a network, defining how devices are linked and how data flows between them.
2. What is the difference between physical topology and logical topology?
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Physical topology is the actual layout of cables and devices; logical topology is the path data flows, regardless of physical arrangement.
3. In which topology does a single break in the main cable bring down the entire network?
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Bus topology, because all devices share a single communication line.
4. What is a single point of failure in a star topology?
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The central hub or switch. If it fails, all connected devices lose connectivity.
5. How does data travel in a ring topology?
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Data travels from node to node around the loop, in one direction (or sometimes both), until it reaches the destination.
6. What is the main advantage of a mesh topology?
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High redundancy and reliability because multiple paths exist between devices; if one link fails, another can be used.
7. What is the main disadvantage of a mesh topology?
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It is expensive to implement because it requires many cables and network interfaces.
8. What is a tree topology?
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A hybrid topology that combines star networks connected to a central backbone (bus), allowing scalability but inheriting weaknesses of both.
9. Can physical and logical topologies differ? Give an example.
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Yes. A network can be physically wired as a star but logically operate as a ring (e.g., token ring networks).
10. Why is bus topology rarely used today?
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Because a single break in the main cable can disable the entire network, making it vulnerable.
11. What factors influence the choice of network topology?
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Network size, budget, reliability requirements, and performance needs.
12. Does wireless networking have a topology?
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Yes, even without physical cables, wireless networks have a logical topology based on how devices connect.
13. In a star topology, how does data flow from source to destination?
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Data goes from the source device to the central hub, then from the hub to the destination device.
14. Which topology is often used in metropolitan area networks (MANs) and why?
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Ring topology, because it can cover large distances and provide a predictable data path, with redundancy options.
15. What is the key trade-off between star and mesh topologies?
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Star is cheaper and easier to manage but has a single point of failure; mesh is more reliable but more expensive.
16. What does physical topology describe?
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Physical topology describes how devices are physically connected with cables and hardware.
17. What does logical topology describe?
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Logical topology describes how data actually flows through the network, regardless of physical connections.
18. Can physical and logical topologies be different? Give an example.
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Yes. For example, early Ethernet with a hub is physically a star but logically a bus.
19. In a token ring network, what is the physical topology and what is the logical topology?
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The physical topology is often a star (using a MAU), but the logical topology is a ring.
20. What determines the logical topology of a network?
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The logical topology is determined by protocols and network behavior, not by cables.
21. List the common physical topologies.
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Bus, star, ring, and mesh.
22. How does logical topology affect network performance?
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Logical topology affects collision domains and broadcast domains, which influence performance. For example, a logical bus shares bandwidth and has collisions, while switched Ethernet provides dedicated bandwidth.
23. Why is logical topology important for security?
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Logical topology defines who can see the data. In a logical bus, all devices see all traffic, which is a security risk.
24. What is the difference between logical topology and VLANs?
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Logical topology refers to the data path as defined by protocols and behavior, while VLANs are a separate layer-2 segmentation technique.
25. In early Ethernet with a hub, why is the logical topology a bus?
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Because all devices share the same communication channel and use CSMA/CD to manage access, so data is broadcast to all devices.
26. What does a MAU (Multistation Access Unit) do in token ring?
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A MAU allows a physical star wiring to implement a logical ring topology.
27. Why is understanding both physical and logical topologies essential for troubleshooting?
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Because a physical issue (like a cable break) might not affect the logical path if there is redundancy, while a logical misconfiguration (like a routing loop) can cause problems even if all cables are fine.
28. What is the backbone in bus topology?
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The backbone is the single shared communication line (cable) that connects all devices in a bus topology.
29. When a device sends data in bus topology, who receives the signal?
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All devices on the backbone receive the signal, but only the intended recipient processes it.
30. What is the primary disadvantage of bus topology?
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The backbone is a single point of failure; if it breaks, the entire network goes down.
31. Why are terminators required at both ends of a bus network?
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Terminators absorb the signal at the ends of the cable to prevent signal reflection, which would cause communication errors.
32. What happens if two devices transmit simultaneously on a bus network?
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Their signals collide, corrupting both transmissions.
33. What does CSMA/CD stand for?
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Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection.
34. How does CSMA/CD handle collisions?
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Devices listen before sending, and if a collision is detected, they stop, wait a random time, and retry.
35. What is the effect of adding more devices to a bus network?
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It increases collision probability and reduces performance because all devices share the same cable.
36. Which early Ethernet standards used bus topology?
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10BASE2 and 10BASE5.
37. Why is bus topology rarely used in modern networks?
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Because of its single point of failure, poor scalability, and performance degradation with many devices.
38. What is the difference between physical and logical topology in the context of bus?
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Physical topology refers to the actual cabling layout, while logical topology refers to how data flows. Modern Ethernet can have a star physical layout but still behave logically like a bus in some contexts.
39. What is a common misconception about data delivery in bus topology?
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That data is sent only to the intended recipient; in reality, it is broadcast to all devices, but only the recipient processes it.
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