Page 17 - KEC Khaitan C8.5 Flipbook
P. 17
STAR TOPOLOGY
In this topology, the central node acts as a hub to which all the other nodes
are connected. Compared to the bus topology, star topology requires more
devices and cables. The addition of a new node to a star topology is easy as
it involves a connection all the way to the central node.
RING TOPOLOGY
In this topology, all the nodes are connected in a circular path. The messages
travel in the clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. Any damage to the cable
of any node or device can result in the breakdown of the whole network.
TREE TOPOLOGY
In this topology, nodes are connected as branches of a tree where
the hub acts as a root node. It is scalable as it is easier to add new or
remove the faulty nodes. However, its major disadvantage is that
if the root node fails to operate, the entire network is inoperable.
MESH TOPOLOGY
In this topology, every single node in a network is connected to all the
other nodes or computers in the network. There are minimal chances of
network failure in this topology due to redundant connections.
NETWORKING TRANSMISSION MEDIA
Various components are interconnected with each other through some medium in a computer
network. The medium that enables you to transfer data from one computer to another is
known as a transmission medium. The cables that connect two or more workstations are the
communication channels. Computers in a small network can be connected by cables (mostly
copper conductors in twisted pairs or coaxial cables). Nowadays, optical fiber cables are also
used for networking due to their higher speed and capacity.
We can group communication media into two categories: Guided transmission media and
Unguided transmission media. The guided media includes cables and unguided media includes
waves.
GUIDED TRANSMISSION MEDIA
Guided transmission media refers to communication channels that are confined to a specific
path or medium. Different types of guided transmission media are as follows:
Twisted Pair Cable: It consists of two insulated copper wires twisted together. It is used to
make phone calls and to connect your computer or tablet to the internet.
Networking Concepts 15

