Basic of computer Network 4: Topology（拓扑结构) - Bus, Ring, Star, Modern Tree, Semi-Structured, Dynamic

The word of topology is borrowed from geometry. It is used to describe the shape of the network and how its layout or how network connected in physically. Topology will show how network server, network configurate of workstation interconnect. There are many different types of topologies, like Bus, Ring, Star, Modern Tree, Semi-Structured Dynamic, Wire/Wireless and so on.

Bus
Bus topology is a type of network where connect all the device (node) to a cable which is called backbone. And there must be finalizer at both end of the backbone. It is mainly with the bus impedance matching, maximum absorption of the transmission end of the energy, avoid unnecessary interference signal reflection back to the bus. The communication of node using broadcasting mode, information sent by one node, it can be “heard” by other nodes on the bus.
Bus network structure is the most widely used structure and the most traditional mainstream network structure, which is suitable for the application of information management system and office automation system.
MAC method, it uses CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) to protect devices on different devices or networks can communicate over a multi-point network without conflicting. When a device wants to transmit date, it will listen to the backbone, if there is transmission already in progress, it will wait for a random period of time until the backbone is free to transmit.

Advantage and Disadvantage
• The network structure is simple, and the reliability is high.
• The cable length is short which is easy to wire and maintenance.
• It is easy to install and expand, when a user wants to join the bus, only one connector needs to be added, but the number of users that can be connected is limited.
o Bus topology is relying on backbone which mean when the backbone cable broken, the whole network would not able to work.
o Because all the device in this network share the bus bandwidth which means, the more device, the slower transmission speed.
o It is difficult to isolate fault, as any node failure can lead to whole network problem.

Ring
The ring topology is all the computers (node) are connected to each other in a circle shape. The Data will follow the ring pass through each PC by clockwise to reach the destination directly. Any node on the loop can request to send information. Once the request is approved, the message can be sent to the backbone. Data in a ring network can be either one-way or two-way. The delay time of the information on each device is fixed.
Ring topology use MAC method, Token passing that is defined in IEEE 802.5, to control the data flow to prevent data package collision. The small amount of data (a special 3-byte frame) that is transferred on the token passing is called the token, and whoever has the token has the transfer permission. If one of the devices on the ring receives a token and has a message to send, it changes one bit of the token (which turns the token into busy), adds the information it wants to transmit, and then sends the entire message to the next workstation in the ring. The device receives the data would check the frame header, if it is for itself, process it; if not, pass to next one. When the information is transmitted over the ring, there are no tokens in the network, which means that other devices have to wait if they want to transmit data. Therefore, there is no transport collision in the token-ring network.
The information frame travels along the loop until it reaches the destination, where a copy is created for further processing. The information frame continues along the loop until it reaches the sender and can be deleted (and turn token to free). The sending device can check the return frame to see if the frame has been received and copied by the receiving station.

Advantage and Disadvantage
• All data flows in one direction that reduce the chance of data collisions.
• It is suitable to use optical fibre which can improve the speed of transmission.
• The status of all device is equal.
• Compare to CSMA/CD, the token passing is deterministic which means wait time can be calculated before next device transmit.
o The reliability is low, if one node/device broken, it would make entire network not able to work.
o It is difficult for device to join or leave.
o When there are too many devices on ring, the transmission rate would be affected.
o It is difficult to diagnose the faults.

Star
Star topology is a kind of radiative interconnection structure that the central node, hub or switch, connects several peripheral nodes. Each node is connected with the central node in a point-to-point manner, and the central node executes the centralized communication control strategy. Therefore, the central node is quite complicated and has heavy burden. Star topology is suitable for LAN. It is different with other topology, as it not allows devices to communicate directly. Twisted Pairs are the transmission used in this topology commonly.
Star topology use hardware to control data flow, so a MAC method is not required. In the medium or large enterprise, the star topology network would be more complex than the Figure 1.3.3 shows, it may have three or four level switch cascade or switch stack which allow more people to connect to network with different interface. Normally, it uses in IEEE 802.2, IEEE802.3 Ethernet.

Advantage and Disadvantage
• It is easy to maintain and manage, since all information communication in the star topology is governed by the central node.
• The reliability is high, as one device goes wrong, it would not affect the whole network.
• It is easy to maintenance and expand.
o It requires more cable.
o The central node is heavily burdened, easy to form a “bottleneck”. Once a fault occurs, the whole network will be affected.
o the number of nodded can be added in is depend on capacity of central device.

Modern Tree (Hybrid)
This topology is a hybrid of the Star topology and the Bus topology. It usually takes the bus as the main trunk and the star as branch. (See image Figure 1.6) The network with this topology can cover a large range, and it is easy to connect or disconnect with different networks. Thus, any computer failure will not affect the whole network, so the overall reliability of this network is high; In this hybrid network, twisted pair is usually used as the connection wire of star structure, and optical fibre is used as the connection wire of backbone.

Advantage and Disadvantage
• It is easy to expend without disturbing existing architecture.
• Any of the device does not work, it would not affect the entire network.
• The whole network can be divided into small segment (star topology), which be maintained and managed easily.
• It is easy to detect error and correct it.
• If the bus backbone broken, it would make whole internet go down.
o It is more complexity than single topology.
o It is costly to purchase and maintain, the hubs used to connect two distinct networks are expensive.
o The length of each segment is limited by the type of cable.

Dynamic
Dynamic the topology that implement wireless technology which can be divide into two types: one is ad hoc dynamic that can be used in PAN/BAN and LAN which is WLAN; another one is Semi-Structed Dynamic.
Ad Hoc
In ad hoc network, they use IEEE 802.11 as network standard for Wi-Fi or IEEE 802.15 as network standard for Bluetooth. When user with the devices can stand within the wireless signal range and know the password, they can just jump in and access the internet. Each user device (DTE) can not only move, but also have both router and host functions. On the one hand, as the host, the terminal needs to run a variety of user-facing applications; On the other hand, as a router, the terminal needs to run the corresponding routing protocol to complete packet forwarding and routing maintenance of data according to the routing strategy and routing table.
Ad hoc, this word is come from Latin which means “as and when required”
Ad hoc dynamic can utilize the routing and forwarding function of mobile terminals to communicate without infrastructure, thus making up for the defects of no network communication infrastructure. Due to the random mobile user terminals, the node can start-up and shutdown at any time, the change of sending power of wireless transmitter, the mutual interference between the wireless channel and the effect of comprehensive factors such as terrain, mobile terminal through the wireless channel between the formation of the network topology may change at any time, and the way and speed of the change is unpredictable.

Advantage & Disadvantage
• Nodes can join and leave the network at any time, and the failure of any node will not affect the operation of the whole network, with strong anti-destruction
• It doesn’t have any cost for cables.
• It allows user to move around within the signal segment.
o The more user joins ad hoc, the slower the speed.
o As it is wireless, there are various factors that will attenuate its signal.
o The security level is low, as anyone who know the password and within the signal segment, they can join.

Semi-Structure Dynamic Topology
It is the topology which combine Modern tree (Bus-Star Hybrid topology) with wireless signal which means user can access internet through the cable or wireless connection via access point.

Advantage and Disadvantage
• If the cable is not work properly, it still allows user to transmit the data.
• It is easy to add new device to expand the size of network.
• If one node fails, it will not affect others.
o It cost more to install the access point.
o It requires a lot of cable which increase the cost.
o Once the backbone dropped, the whole network would be go offline.

Wire/Wireless
As we know, wired network connects all devices together through the cable which runs at Ethernet speed, whether its routers, switches or computer, network communication requires network cable and network card. The distance and speed of data transmission is depend on what type of cable. However, wireless LAN (WLAN) uses IEEE 802.11 as standard to communicate by using wireless transmission medium (light and radio waves). Because it uses wireless transmission medium to communicate which make it be more flexible in network access. At the same time, user no longer to worry about the number of ports on switches or routers are not enough to complete the capacity expansion. The coverage area of wireless is between 300-1000ft in diameter that can support user to transmit data in 11Mbps to 200 Mbps speed. It also allows Ad hoc networking which means it can be formed temporarily by dynamic links between nodes. Ad hoc does not rely on an existing network architecture, such as a wired router or a wireless base station for a wireless system. instead each of its nodes has the ability to forward network packets to other nodes that also called routing.

Wire VS Wireless
• Reliability: because wired network use wire, the internet speed is more reliable than wireless one, general problems for no internet are caused by loose cable connections; wireless network is more susceptible to interference from the external environment.
• Cost: because of the wire, wired network need to spend more money and time on the ethernet cable, hubs and switches for installation, especially the machines are installed in different rooms which make the connection more difficult; while wireless network, user can connect to internet from access point straight way without any cables. However, wireless adapters and access points may cost 3-4 times more than Ethernet cable adapters and hubs/switches at full retail price.
• Performance: most wired network can run at 100MBs and use Ethernet Switch to avoid the network traffic; while wireless network, both 802.11g and 802.11a, the theoretical transmission rates are 54MBs which is enough for daily network access or file sharing, but it is inadequate for LAN gaming.
• Security: wired network is more security for wireless network, as wireless network transfer data through air which is to be intercepted by others.

Reference:
TIM KEARY, comparitech, Network Topology: 6 Network Topologies Explained & Compared, June 4, 2020, available at https://www.comparitech.com/net-admin/network-topologies-advantages-disadvantages/ 【Accessed on 27 Sep 2020】
Moumita, Tutorialspoint, Token Bus and Token Ring, 15 May 2019, available from https://www.tutorialspoint.com/token-bus-and-token-ring 【Accessed on 27 Sep 2020】
Study Tonight, Types of Network Topology, available from https://www.studytonight.com/computer-networks/network-topology-types [26/02/20]
James T Wood, The advantage of Ad Hoc Networks, available from https://itstillworks.com/advantages-ad-hoc-networks-6793071.html [26/02/20]