1.4 Network Topologies, Layers and Protocols

Question 1

What is a protocol?

Answer 1

A protocol is a set of rules that allow devices on a network to communicate with each other.

Question 2

What are pros of a star topology?

Answer 2

The pros of a star topology are:
- If one cable or device fails then other devices will be unaffected

• Cables are not shared, so no data collisions occur (= high performing)
• Easy to add new devices (just connect to central device)

Question 3

What are cons of a star topology?

Answer 3

The cons of a star topology are:
- Expensive to install, due to lots of cabling and the central device being required

• The performance of the network is limited by the performance of the central device
• If the central device fails, then so will the whole network

Question 4

What are some pros of a mesh topology?

Answer 4

The redundancy means if one cable stops working, then there is a backup route

All devices can communicate with each other directly, which is fast

Few data collisions will occur, as data is spread across the network