Local Area Network Topologies, Protocols, and Design
Gary C. Kessler · 2012
This chapter provides an overview of local area network (LAN) concepts, topologies, technologies, and design. Historically, LANs have been broadcast networks, meaning that every LAN station hears every transmission on the medium. LAN topologies have to support the broadcast nature of the network and provide full connectivity between all stations. The physical topology describes how the LAN stations are physically connected so that they can communicate with each other. The logical topology describes how the broadcast nature of the LAN is actually affected, and, therefore, how stations participate in the process of obtaining permission to transmit on the medium. There are three common topologies found in LANs: star, ring, and bus. In a star topology, all devices on the LAN are interconnected through some central device. In a ring topology, the nodes are connected by a set of point-to-point links that are organized in a circle. In a bus topology, all devices are connected to a single electrically continuous medium. The chapter also discusses concepts related to media access control, interconnection devices, and network operating systems.