Bus Topology in Computer Networks

Study Notes

A bus network has each node connected to a single cable, resembling bus stops branching from a route.
It's cost-effective, simple to set up, and add new nodes, but a central link failure causes all dependencies to fail.
Bus networks are less secure due to the shared central link and slow down with more nodes sharing the cable.

A ring network has nodes and links arranged in a ring, with each node having two neighbors.
Repeaters ensure data reaches distant nodes, and data usually flows unidirectionally.
Ring networks are cheap to install and expand, with fast data flow, but a single node failure can bring down the network.

A star network has nodes connected to a central hub, resembling a star shape.
It's easier to troubleshoot issues with individual nodes, and a single node failure doesn't affect the rest of the network.
However, if the central hub fails, the entire network goes down, and performance depends on the hub and connections.

A tree topology combines bus and star networks, with a central hub connecting multiple star networks.
It allows for more devices to connect to a central data center, speeding up data flow.
Identifying issues with individual nodes is relatively easy, but it's vulnerable to a single point of failure.

A mesh network has each device connected to at least one other node, with full mesh connecting every node, and partial mesh connecting some nodes directly.
Communication is fast, and nodes can communicate directly without a central hub.
Mesh networks are resilient, continue to function if a node or connection fails, and offer greater security.
However, they're expensive to set up, requiring many cables, and can be complicated to install and maintain.