What is a Topology?
The physical topology of
a network refers to the configuration of cables, computers, and other
peripherals. Physical topology should not be confused with logical topology
which is the method used to pass information between workstations. Logical
topology was discussed in the Protocol chapter.
Main Types of Physical Topologies
The following sections
discuss the physical topologies used in networks and other related topics.
A linear bus topology
consists of a main run of cable with a terminator at each end (See fig. 1). All
nodes (file server, workstations, and peripherals) are connected to the linear
cable.
Fig. 1. Linear Bus topology
