Applied Computing

All devices are connected to a single communication line called a bus.

Data transmitted by on device is recieved by all other devices on the bus. It is simple, and inexpensive to implement but can suffer from preformance degradation if multiple devices transmit simultaneously. Bus is used commonly in small LANs or home office setups.

Each device is directly connected to a central device such as a hub or switch. All communications between devices must pass through the central device. There is a centralised control point, making easier troubleshooting, and better performance compared to bus.  There is also the ability to add and remove devices without affecting the rest of the network.

Ethernet networks and other LANs commonly use star topology.

Fully interconnected network where each device is connected to every other device. This results in redundant connections and multiple paths for data transmission. Mesh topologies offer high reliability and fault tolerance but require a large number of connections, making them costly and costly to implement wired. Therefore, typically, mesh networks use wireless transmission.

Devices are connected in a closed loop. Data travels in one direction around the ring, passing through each device in a network until it reaches its destination. Rarely used in networks today, some industrial networks, such as those in manufacturing plants or utilities, may employ them for thier high fault tolerance.