One cable and a stuck survey
Six analysts in a survey office share one sheet of results. At 9 am someone kicks a cable under a desk. One analyst loses the sheet. Or maybe all six do.
It depends on how the office is wired. Today you learn three layouts and what each does when a link breaks.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Topology | the layout of a network |
| Star | every device links to one central device |
| Mesh | devices link to many others, so there are many routes |
| Tree | stars joined in layers, like branches |
| Physical topology | how the devices and cables are really laid out |
| Logical topology | how the data flows, whatever the cables look like |
| Switch | a device that links the devices in a network |
| Network | devices joined so they can share things |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can describe star, mesh and tree layouts and say what happens when a link fails.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
A star has one switch in the middle
In a star, each device has its own cable to a central switch. Most offices and schools use it.
It is easy to add a device and easy to find a fault. If one cable breaks, only that device is cut off. If the switch fails, everything stops. It also needs a lot of cable.
Check
Have a go
Check
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.