Topologies

• 2 differnt types of topologies

  star topology / network and mesh topology / network
• Star Topology Advantage


  fast data transfer to the hub as each wire isnt shared with other computers

  if one cable fails the other computers are not affected
• Star Topology Disadvantages 


  Required additional hardware such as the central switch and network cables

  if central switch fails the whole network goes down
• Mesh Network Advantage


  no single point of failure - is resilient

  expansion and modification can be done without disrupting the network

  data can be transmitted from different devices simultaneously
• Mesh Network Disadvantages


  can involve redundant connections

  expensive to install cabling if using wired connections

  network maintenance and administration is difficult
• Wireless Mesh Networks


  have potential to provide Wi-Fi solutions for entire organisations, cities or even countries

  only one node is required and no other cabling or infrastructure is needed

  the more nodes that use the network, the more routes there are for the data to travel through

  node within broadcast distance of three other nodes will have triple the standard bandwidth

  as distance between a node and another is halved, signal strength becomes 4 times stronger
• Many parts of the Internet operates as a partial mesh