Bus, Star and Ring Topologies

What a Network Topology Is

A topology describes the physical or logical shape of how devices are connected to each other. Choosing a topology affects cost, reliability, and how a network behaves when part of it fails.

Bus Topology

A ---- B ---- C ---- D ---- E
      (all devices share one single cable)

Every device connects to a single shared cable (the "bus"). It's cheap and simple, but the whole network goes down if the main cable breaks, and performance degrades as more devices are added, since they all compete for the same shared line.

Star Topology

        A
        |
  B ---[HUB]--- C
        |
        D

Every device connects to one central hub or switch. If one device's cable fails, only that device loses connection - the rest of the network keeps working. This is the most common topology in modern homes and offices, since a single point of failure (the hub) is easy to make reliable.

Ring Topology

   A --- B
   |     |
   D --- C
(each device connects to exactly two neighbors, forming a closed loop)

Each device connects to exactly two others, forming a closed loop, and data travels around the ring until it reaches its destination. A single broken link can disrupt the whole ring, unless the design includes a redundant second ring to reroute traffic.

Quick Comparison