. It is easy to isolate cable failures, because each node connects independently to the central hub (201).The drawbacks of a star topology include the following:A. If the central hub fails, the network becomes unavailable (201).B. This topology uses more network cable than other network models (201). James 82. Ring topologies allow network cable to run from one network interface card to the other with no free ends which means the network cable makes a complete, closed circle. Ring topologies offer the advantage of equal access to the network media through token passing. The main disadvantage of a ring topology is the same as a bus: a single node’s failure can disrupt the entire network (Moncur 36).3. Bus topology is the simplest topology and requires the least amount of cable to implement. Bus topologies are created by simply running a single cable length and connect computers to it with T-shaped connectors that have three ends. The chief disadvantage of a bus topology is that a break at any point in the bus will bring the network down (36).4. Mesh topology provides fault tolerance through redundant links. In this system, each node is connected to every other node with separate cables. The main advantage of this system is a high degree of reliability. The disadvantage is that mesh topologies require large amount of cable, making them very expensive to install and expand (36).Depending on the physical distance between nodes on a network and the communication and services provided by the network, networks can be classified as local area networks (LANs), metropolitan are networks (MANs), and wide area networks (WANs).A network that connects computer systems and devices within the same geographic area is a local area network (LAN). A local area network can be a ring, star, hierarchical, or hybrid network. Typically, local area networks are wired into office buildings James 9and factories. They can be bui...
