It 240 Guide to Networking Essentials Chapter 3

qc.

chapter 3

Network Topologies

and Technologies

After reading this chapter and completing the

exercises, you will be able to:

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Describe the primary physical networking topologies in common use

Describe the primary logical networking topologies in common use

Describe major LAN networking technologies

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Chapter 3

Not so long ago, there was a real choice to be made between available network

topologies and technologies when designing and building a new internetwork. Thankfully,

this area of networking has gotten simpler rather than more complex, mainly because the

choices have narrowed, with inferior or costly solutions becoming obsolete.

This chapter discusses network topologies, which describe both the physical arrangement of

cabling or pathways between network devices and the logical manner in which data is transferred from device to device. Next, you learn about network technologies or architectures

that describe the methods computers use to transmit data to the networking medium in an

orderly fashion. As you’ll see, the topology and technology are often tightly coupled, as

certain technologies can be used only with certain topologies. The choices have been limited

because only a few technologies and topologies remain as viable options. As is often the

case, however, it helps to know where networking started to get an idea of where it might

be heading. So even though some information covered in this chapter is obsolete or nearly

so, your understanding of...