What Is Network Topology?
Network Topology — the layout of how devices interconnect — star, mesh, ring, bus, hybrid — shaping cost, redundancy and failure behaviour.
How it works
Modern LANs are stars (everything into switches) layered into hierarchies (access–distribution–core). Meshes add redundant interconnections — full mesh for maximum resilience, partial mesh as the affordable compromise. Legacy bus and ring topologies survive mostly in exams and industrial niches.
Why it matters
Topology thinking underpins design questions: where does a failure hurt, where do loops need STP, how many links does full mesh need (n(n−1)/2 — a favourite quiz item).
Frequently asked questions
What topology do modern networks use?
Star/hierarchical — devices connect to switches, switches uplink to distribution and core layers, often with mesh links for redundancy.
What is the advantage of a mesh topology?
Multiple paths — the network survives link failures, at the cost of more connections and complexity.
How many links does a full mesh need?
n(n−1)/2 for n devices — 10 devices already need 45 links, which is why full mesh stays small or logical.
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