Sunday, May 13, 2012
BUS TOPOLOGY
Bus topology uses a common bus or backbone (a single
cable) to connect all devices with terminators at both ends. The backbone acts
as a shared communication medium and each node (file, server, workstations, and
peripherals) is attached to it with an interface connecter.
Whenever a message is to be transmitted on the network, it is passed
back and forth along the cable, past the stations and between the two
terminators, from one end of the network to the other. As the message passes
each station, the station checks the message’s destination address. If the
address in the message matches the station’s address, the station receives the
message. If the address does not match, the bus carries the message to the next
station, and so on.
Advantages of BUS Topology
§ Connecting a computer or peripheral to a linear bus is
easy.
§ This topology requires least amount of cabling to
connect the computers and, therefore, less expensive than other cabling
arrangement.
§ It is easy to extend a bus since two cables can be
joined into one longer cable with a connector.
Disadvantages of Bus Topology
§ Entire network shuts down if there is a failure in the
backbone.
§ Heavy traffic can slow down a bus because computers on
such networks do not coordinate with each other to reserve time to transmit.
