Exploring Network Types and Topologies

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This is the second part of the Computer Networking series. In this post, we’ll dive into different types of networks and explore various network topologies and their structures.

Personal Area Network (PAN)

A Personal Area Network (PAN) is the most basic type of computer network, designed to connect devices within a short range, typically around a single person. It allows your personal devices, like smartphones, tablets, laptops, and wearables, to communicate and share data with each other.

Local Area Network (LAN)

A Local Area Network (LAN) interconnects computers within a limited area, such as a residence, school, or university campus.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) connects computers across a geographic region the size of a metropolitan area, such as a city.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

A Wide Area Network (WAN) extends over large geographic areas, such as entire countries.

In essence, multiple local area networks (LANs) connect to each other through a metropolitan area network (MAN), and several MANs are connected via a wide area network (WAN), forming the internet.

These connections are established using technologies such as:

SONET
Frame Relay

Topologies

Bus Topology

In a Bus Topology, devices are connected to a single backbone. If any part of the backbone fails, the entire system goes down. Only one device at a time can send information.

Ring Topology

In a Ring Topology, every system is connected in a ring-like structure, where each device communicates with the next. If one cable breaks, data transfer stops. This topology can lead to many unnecessary data transmissions.

Star Topology

In a Star Topology, there is a central device that connects to all computers. If the central device fails, the entire network goes down.

Tree Topology

Tree Topology is a variation of the star topology. It has a hierarchical structure resembling a tree, with a central node (root) from which other nodes branch out.

Mesh Topology

In a Mesh Topology, every device connects to every other device. This setup provides redundancy but is costly and can have scalability issues.

Hybrid Topology

Hybrid Topology combines various types of topologies. It’s used when nodes are free to take different forms. They can individually use topologies like Ring or Star, or be a combination of multiple types. Hybrid Topology offers flexibility to suit different network requirements.