Dictionary · Networking Fundamentals
Network Topology
Design · Beginner
The arrangement of links and nodes, described physically by cabling or logically by how traffic flows. Common shapes include star, mesh, bus, and ring.
Topology is the shape of the network. A physical star can still have a logical bus in older designs, so it helps to say which view you mean.
Example: Each office drop runs back to one switch, forming a physical star. Two sites may also connect with redundant links in a partial mesh.
Common misconception
- Drawing a star does not tell you the addressing plan, the security policy, or the bandwidth.