Cisco CCNA (200-301)Network FundamentalsMedium
A network engineer is designing a new campus network. They need to ensure that all core switches have a direct, dedicated physical link to every other core switch for maximum redundancy and bandwidth. Which network topology best describes this design requirement?
- AFull Mesh
- BRing
- CStar
- DBus
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Full Mesh
A Full Mesh topology provides a direct point-to-point connection between every device in the network. This offers the highest level of redundancy and dedicated bandwidth between any two nodes, as specified in the requirement.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. A Ring topology connects each device to exactly two other devices, forming a circular pathway, which doesn't provide direct links to 'every other' device.
- C. A Star topology connects all devices to a central hub or switch, not directly to each other.
- D. A Bus topology connects all devices to a single shared communication line, leading to collisions and single points of failure.
Full Mesh Topology
A network topology where every device has a direct, dedicated point-to-point connection to every other device in the network.
- Offers maximum redundancy and fault tolerance.
- Provides dedicated bandwidth between any two nodes.
- Scales poorly due to high cabling and port requirements (n*(n-1)/2 connections).
Memory trick: Mesh connects All, Ring goes Around, Star to a Core, Bus is a Line.