Network+ Guide to Networks

Chapter 6: Topologies and Access Methods

Objectives

Describe the basic and hybrid LAN physical

topologies, and their uses, advantages, and disadvantages

Describe the backbone structures that form

the foundation for most LANs

Compare the different types of switching

used in data transmission
2

Objectives (continued)

Understand the transmission methods

underlying Ethernet, LocalTalk, Token Ring, FDDI, and ATM networks

Describe the characteristics of different

wireless network technologies, including the three IEEE 802.11 standards

Simple Physical Topologies

Physical topology is the physical layout,

or pattern, of the nodes on a network

Physical topologies are divided into three

fundamental geometric shapes: bus, ring, and star, Mesh, Hybrid

 Bus

Simple Physical Topologies (continued)

A bus topology consists of a single cable

connecting all nodes on a network without intervening connectivity devices The single cable is called the bus and can support only one channel for communication Most bus networks use coaxial cable as their physical medium At the ends of each bus network are 50-ohm resistors known as terminators Extra stations can be added in a daisy chain manner
5

 Standard is IEEE 802.3 Thin Ethernet (10Base2) has a maximum segment length of 200m Max no. of connections is 30 devices Four repeaters may be used to a total cable length of 1000m Max no. of nodes is 150
Thick Ethernet (10Base5) used for backbones Limited to 500m Max of 100 nodes per segment Total of four repeaters , 2500m, with a total of 488 nodes

Advantages Inexpensive to install Easy to add stations Use less cable than other topologies Works well for small networks
No longer recommended Backbone breaks, whole network down Limited no of devices can be attached Difficult to isolate problems Sharing same cable slows response rates

Disadvantages

Simple Physical Topologies (continued)

Ring

In a ring topology, each node is connected to the two nearest nodes so that the entire network forms a circle Data is transmitted clockwise, in one direction (unidirectional), around the ring The fact that all workstations participate in delivery makes the ring topology an active topology A ring topology also differs in that it has no ends and data stops at its destination and, twisted-pair or fiber-optic cabling is used as the physical medium22 Most common type is Token Ring (IEEE 802.5) A token contains the data, reaches the destination, data extracted, acknowledgement of receipt sent back to transmitting device, removed, empty token passed on for another device to use
9

10

Advantages Data packets travel at great speed No collisions Easier to fault find No terminators required

Disadvantages Requires more cable than a bus A break in the ring will bring it down Not as common as the bus less devices available
11

 In a star topology, every node on the

Simple Physical Topologies (continued)

network is connected through a central device, such as a hub or switch

Star topologies are usually built with twisted-pair

or fiber-optic cabling Star topologies require more cabling than ring or bus networks Each node is separately connected to a central connectivity device, they are more fault-tolerant

12

13

14

 Advantages Easy to add devices as the network expands One cable failure does not bring down the entire network (resilience) Hub provides centralised management Easy to find device and cable problems Can be upgraded to faster speeds Lots of support as it is the most used

15

 Disadvantages A star network requires more cable than a ring or bus network Failure of the central hub can bring down the entire network Costs are higher (installation and equipment) than for most bus networks

16

Extended Star Topology

A Star Network which has been expanded to include an additional hub or hubs.

17

Mesh Topology (Web)

18

Mesh Topology (2)

Not common on LANs Most often used in WANs to interconnect LANS Each node is connected to every other node Allows communication to continue in the event of a break in any one connection It is Fault Tolerant
19

Mesh Topology (3)

Advantages Improves Fault Tolerance Provides security and privacy Disadvantages Expensive Difficult to install Difficult to manage Difficult to troubleshoot
20

Hybrid Topology

21

Hybrid Topology (2)

Old networks are updated and replaced, leaving older segments (legacy) Hybrid Topology combines two or more different physical topologies Commonly Star-Bus or Star-Ring Star-Ring uses a MAU (Multistation Access Unit (see later slide)
22

Hybrid Physical Topologies

Star-Wired Ring or Star Ring

The star-wired ring topology uses the physical
layout of a star in conjunction with the ring topologys data transmission method

Data is sent around the star in a circular pattern This hybrid topology benefits from the fault
tolerance of the star topology
23

Hybrid Physical Topologies (continued)

star-wired bus topology,

groups of workstations are star-connected to hubs and then networked via a single bus

With this design, you can cover longer distances

and easily interconnect or isolate different network segments

24

Hybrid Physical Topologies (continued)

More expensive than using either the star or,
especially, the bus topology alone because it requires more cabling and potentially more connectivity devices

The star-wired bus topology forms the basis for

modern Ethernet and Fast Ethernet networks

25

Tree Topology
A tree topology combines characteristics of linear bus and star topologies. It consists of groups of star-configured workstations connected to a linear bus backbone cable . Tree topologies allow for the expansion of an existing network, and enable schools to configure a network to meet their needs.
26

27

Advantages Point-to-point wiring for individual segments. Supported by several hardware and software venders. Disadvantages Overall length of each segment is limited by the type of cabling used. If the backbone line breaks, the entire segment goes down. More difficult to configure and wire than other topologies.

28

Backbone Networks
A network backbone is the cabling that connects
the hubs, switches, and routers on a network

Backbones usually are capable of more

throughput than the cabling that connects workstations to hubs

29

Backbone Networks (continued)

In networking, the term enterprise refers to an
entire organization, including its local and remote offices, a mixture of computer systems, and a number of departments

The backbone is the most significant building

block of enterprise-wide networks

30

Backbone Networks (continued)

Serial Backbone

The simplest kind of backbone It consists of two or more internetworking devices

connected to each other by a single cable in a daisy-chain fashion In networking, a daisy chain is simply a linked series of devices Hubs and switches are often connected in a daisy chain to extend a network

31

Backbone Networks (continued)

Distributed Backbone
Consists of a number of connectivity devices connected
to a series of central connectivity devices such as hubs, switches, or routers, in a hierarchy

This kind of topology allows for simple expansion and

limited capital outlay for growth, because more layers of devices can be added to existing layers

32

Backbone Networks (continued)

A more complicated distributed backbone connects
multiple LANs or LAN segments using routers

Provides network administrators with the ability to

segregate workgroups and therefore manage them more easily

33

Backbone Networks (continued)

Collapsed Backbone

Uses a router or switch as the single central

connection point for multiple subnetworks A single router or switch is the highest layer of the backbone6 The router or switch that makes up the collapsed backbone must contain multiprocessors to handle the heavy traffic going through it This arrangement allows you to interconnect different types of subnetworks

34

Backbone Networks (continued)

Parallel Backbone

The most robust type of network backbone The most significant advantage of using a parallel

backbone is that its redundant (duplicate) links ensure network connectivity to any area of the enterprise Parallel backbones are more expensive than other enterprise-wide topologies They make up for the additional cost by offering increased performance and better fault tolerance

35

Logical Topologies
Logical topology refers to the way in which data is

transmitted between nodes The most common logical topologies are bus and ring In a bus logical topology, signals travel from one network device to all other devices on the network In a ring logical topology signals follow a circular path between sender and receiver Logical topologies is useful when troubleshooting and designing networks

36

Switching
A component of a networks logical topology that
determines how connections are created between nodes

There are three methods for switching: circuit

switching, message switching, and packet switching

37

Switching (continued)
Circuit Switching
A connection is established between two network
nodes before they begin transmitting data

Bandwidth is dedicated to this connection and

remains available until the users terminate communication between the two nodes

While the nodes remain connected, all data

follows the same path initially selected by the switch
38

Switching (continued)

Message Switching
Establishes a connection between two devices,
transfers the information to the second device, and then breaks the connection

The information is stored and forwarded from the

second device once a connection between that device and a third device on the path is established

39

Switching (continued)
This store and forward routine continues until the
message reaches its destination

Message switching requires that each device in

the datas path have sufficient memory and processing power to accept and store the information before passing it to the next node

40

Switching (continued)

Packet Switching is the most popular

method for connecting nodes on a network

Breaks data into packets before they are

transported Packets can travel any path on the network to their destination When packets reach their destination node, the node reassembles them based on their control information Does not waste bandwidth by holding a connection open until a message reaches its destination
41

Ethernet

Carrier Sense Multiple Access with

Collision Detection (CSMA/CD)

The access method used in Ethernet

The term Carrier Sense refers to the fact that

Ethernet NICs listen on the network and wait until they detect (or sense) that no other nodes are transmitting data over the signal (or carrier) on the communications channel before they begin to transmit
42

Ethernet (continued)
The term Multiple Access refers to the fact that several
Ethernet nodes can be connected to a network and can monitor traffic, or access the media, simultaneously

The last part of the term CSMA/CD, collision detection,

refers to the way nodes respond to a collision

When two transmissions interfere with each other; this is

known as a collision

43

Ethernet (continued)
The NIC will issue a special 32-bit sequence that
indicates to the rest of the network nodes that the its previous transmission was faulty and that those data frames are invalid which is called jamming

A collision domain is the portion of a network in

which collisions occur if two nodes transmit data at the same time

A data propagation delay is the length of time data

takes to travel from one point on the segment to another point
44

Ethernet (continued)

Switched Ethernet

Traditional Ethernet LANs, called shared Ethernet,

supply a fixed amount of bandwidth that must be shared by all devices on a segment, and all nodes on that segment belong to the same collision domain Switched Ethernet enables multiple nodes to simultaneously transmit and receive data over different logical network segments Using switched Ethernet increases the effective bandwidth of a network segment because fewer workstations must vie for the same time on the wire
45

Ethernet (continued)

Ethernet Frames
Ethernet networks may use one (or a combination)
of four kinds of data frames: Ethernet_802.2 (Raw), Ethernet_802.3 (Novell proprietary), Ethernet_II (DIX), and Ethernet_SNAP

Each frame type differs slightly in the way it codes

and decodes packets of data traveling from one device to another

46

Ethernet (continued)
Using and Configuring Frames
You can use multiple frame types on a network, but
you cannot expect interoperability between the frame types

Frame types are typically specified through a

devices NIC configuration software

Most NICs can automatically sense what types of

frames are running on a network and adjust themselves to that specification which is a feature is called autodetect, or autosense
47

Ethernet (continued)
The preamble signals to the receiving node that
data is incoming and indicates when the data flow is about to begin

The start-of-frame delimiter (SFD) identifies where

the data field begins

48

Ethernet (continued)
Each Ethernet frame also contains a 14-byte header,
which includes a destination address, a source address, and an additional field that varies in function and size, depending on the frame type The extra bytes are known as padding and have no significance other than to fill out the frame Ethernet_II (DIX) and Ethernet_SNAP

An Ethernet frame type developed by DEC, Intel, and

Xerox (abbreviated as DIX) before the IEEE began to standardize Ethernet

49

Ethernet (continued)
Ethernet_II frame type contains a 2-byte type field.
This type field identifies the Network layer protocol (such as IP,ARP, RARP, or IPX) contained in the frame

The Ethernet_SNAP standard calls for additional

control fields

Ethernet_SNAP frames allow less room for data

50

Ethernet (continued)

Power over Ethernet

Recently, IEEE has finalized a new standard,

802.3af, that specifies a method for supplying electrical power over Ethernet connections, also known as Power over Ethernet (PoE) The PoE standard specifies two types of devices: power sourcing equipment (PSE) and powered devices (PDs)

Power sourcing equipment (PSE) Powered devices (PDs)

51

LocalTalk
LocalTalk is a network access method designed by
Apple Computer, Inc. specifically for networking Macintosh computers It provided a simple, cost-effective way of interconnecting Macintosh devices LocalTalk uses a transmission method called Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) LocalTalk relies on the AppleTalk protocol, but it may also support the Macintosh version of TCP/IP called MacTCP

52

Token Ring
A network technology first developed by IBM in the
1980s Token Ring networks have traditionally been more expensive to implement than Ethernet networks The 100-Mbps Token Ring standard, finalized in 1999, is known as High-Speed Token Ring (HSTR) In token passing, a 3-byte packet, called a token, is transmitted from one node to another in a circular fashion around the ring The active monitor maintains the timing for ring passing
53

Token Ring (continued)

Token Ring Switching

Token Ring networks can take advantage of
switching to better utilize limited bandwidth

A Token Ring switch can subdivide a large

network ring into several smaller network rings

Token Ring technology does not allow collisions

54

Token Ring (continued)

Token Ring Frames

Token Ring networks may use one of two

types of frames: the IEEE 802.5 or the IBM Token Ring frame Every Token Ring frame includes Start Delimiter (SD), Access Control (AC), and End Delimiter (ED) fields Token Ring frames use a Frame Status (FS) to provide low-level acknowledgment that the frame was received whole
55

Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI)

A network technology whose standard was originally

specified by ANSI in the mid-1980s and later refined by ISO FDDI (pronounced fiddy) uses a double ring of multimode or single mode fiber to transmit data at speeds of 100 Mbps FDDI is more reliable and more secure than transmission methods that depend on copper wiring FDDI works well with Ethernet 100BaseTX technology FDDI technology has a high cost relative to Fast Ethernet
56

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)

An ITU networking standard describing Data Link layer
protocols for both network access and signal multiplexing ATM may run over fiber-optic or CAT 5 or higher UTP or STP cable In ATM, a packet is called a cell and always consists of 48 bytes of data plus a 5-byte header ATM technology is that it relies on virtual circuits ATM a connection-oriented technology using virtual circuits

57

ATM (continued)
Establishing a reliable connection allows ATM to
guarantee a specific Quality of Service (QoS) for certain transmissions

QoS is a standard that specifies that data will be

delivered within a certain period of time after it is sent

ATM networks can be integrated with Ethernet or

Token Ring networks through the use of LAN Emulation (LANE)

58

Wireless Networks
Each wireless technology is defined by a standard
that describes unique functions at both the Physical and the Data Link layers of the OSI Model

These standards differ in their specified signaling

methods, geographic ranges, and frequency usages, among other things.

The most popular wireless standards used on

contemporary LANs are those developed by IEEEs 802.11 committee
59

Wireless Networks (continued)

802.11 Another name for Wireless Local

Area Networks (WLAN) standards committee

Access Method

802.11 standards specify the use of Carrier Sense

Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) to access a shared medium Use of ACK packets to verify every transmission RTS/CTS enables a source node to issue an RTS signal to an access point requesting the exclusive opportunity to transmit

60

Wireless Networks (continued)

Association
In the context of wireless networking,
communication that occurs between a station and an access point to enable the station to connect to the network via that access point

As long as a station is on and has its wireless

protocols running, it periodically surveys its surroundings for evidence of an access point, a task known as scanning

61

Wireless Networks (continued)

There are two types of scanning: active and passive In active scanning, the station transmits a special
frame, known as a probe, on all available channels within its frequency range In passive scanning, a wireless station listens on all channels within its frequency range for a special signal, known as a beacon frame, issued from an access point Service Set Identifier (SSID), a unique character string used to identify an access point A station might choose a different access point through a process called re-association

62

Wireless Networks (continued)

Frames
For each function, the 802.11 standard specifies a
frame type at the MAC sublayer These multiple frame types are divided into three groups: management, control and data Management frames are those involved in association and re-association, such as the probe and beacon frames Control frames are those related to medium access and data delivery, such as the ACK and RTS/CTS frames Data frames are those that carry the data sent between stations

63

Wireless Networks (continued)

802.11b
Also known as Wi-Fi, for Wireless Fidelity Uses direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS)
signaling

802.11b was the first to take hold and remains the

most popular

It is also the least expensive of all the 802.11

WLAN technologies
64

Wireless Networks (continued)

802.11a
802.11as high throughput is attributable to its use
of higher frequencies, its unique method of encoding data, and more available bandwidth

Higher frequency signals require more power to

transmit and travel shorter distances than lower frequency signals

The additional access points, as well as the nature

of 802.11a equipment, make this standard more expensive than either 802.11b or 802.11g
65

Wireless Networks (continued)

802.11g
802.11g benefits from being compatible with 802.11b
networks

802.11g has high throughput 802.11gs compatibility with the more established 802.11b
has caused many network managers to choose it over 802.11a, despite 802.11as comparative advantages

Laptops could roam between the ranges of the 802.11b and

802.11g access points without an interruption in service
66

Wireless Networks (continued)

Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a mobile wireless networking
standard that uses DSSS signaling in the 2.4-GHz band to achieve a maximum theoretical throughput of 1 Mbps Bluetooth was designed to be used on small networks composed of personal communications devices, also known as personal area networks (PANs) Bluetooths low throughput and short range makes it impractical for business LANs.
67

Wireless Networks (continued)

HomeRF
HomeRF is a wireless networking specification
developed by the HomeRF Working Group

The most unique aspect of the HomeRF standard

is that it was designed to allow both traditional telephone signals and data signals to be exchanged over the same wireless network

Its working group was disbanded in January 2003

68

Summary

Basic and hybrid LAN physical topologies,

and their uses, advantages, and disadvantages

Describe the backbone structures Compared the different types of switching

used in data transmission

69

Summary (continued)

Transmission methods underlying

Ethernet, LocalTalk, Token Ring, FDDI, and ATM networks

Characteristics of different wireless

network technologies, including the three IEEE 802.11 standards

70