Which logical network topology is this?



A common logical network topology consists of a central device to which all other stations connect. This network topology is very common to see in modern local area networks. What logical network topology is this?

A) Bus

B) Star

C) Ring

D) Peer-to-peer


The answer: B) Star

The star network topology is in almost every network around the world because of the ubiquity of Ethernet switching technologies. By using a switch and connecting all devices to this central device, network throughput can run at maximum efficiency and uptime for all stations on the network.


The incorrect answers:

A) Bus
A bus topology consists of a single wire to which all other devices connect. This logical network type was seen on some original Ethernet designs.

C) Ring
A logical ring topology was historically seen on token ring local area networks, and it’s seen most often these days in metropolitan area networks.

D) Peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer networks describe a method of communicating across networks, not a description of a network topology type.

Want to know more? Watch “Network Topologies.”

Networks come in many different shapes and sizes. In this video, we’ll discuss the differences in Ethernet, WAN, and Token Ring topologies, and learn about the differences in client/server, peer to peer, and Windows Domain-based technologies. We’ll also take a tour through the myriad wired and wireless technologies, including ISDN, DSL, infrared, Bluetooth, and mobile wireless networks.