CompTIA Network+ (N10-009)Networking ConceptsEasy
A small office wants a topology where every workstation connects directly to a central switch, and the failure of one cable only affects that single device. Which topology is being described?
- AFull mesh
- BBus
- CStar
- DRing
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Star
In a star topology, each device has an individual link to a central device (switch or hub). A cable failure only isolates that one device, unlike bus or ring topologies where a single failure can disrupt the entire segment.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Full mesh requires direct connections between every device pair, which is far more cabling than described.
- B. Bus topology uses a single shared backbone cable, and a break can disrupt all devices.
- D. Ring topology connects devices in a closed loop, where a break can disrupt the entire ring.
Star Topology
A network layout where each device connects individually to a central switch or hub, so failures are isolated to that single link.
- Most common LAN topology today
- Central device failure affects the whole network
- Easy to troubleshoot single-device issues
Memory trick: Star topology shines from one central hub.