Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) NetworkingNetworking FundamentalsMedium
A network engineer is configuring a new corporate network and needs to ensure that all devices can communicate directly with each other without the need for a central connecting device. This design also needs to be highly resilient to individual link failures. Which network topology best fits these requirements?
- ARing
- BStar
- CMesh
- DBus
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Mesh
A mesh topology provides direct connections between every device, ensuring high redundancy and resilience. If one link fails, data can still reach its destination via alternative paths.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Ring topology can be resilient with dual rings, but a full mesh offers more direct paths and redundancy.
- B. Star topology relies on a central device, a single point of failure.
- D. Bus topology has a single backbone, which is a single point of failure.
Mesh Topology
A network topology where every device is directly connected to every other device, providing multiple paths for data transmission and high fault tolerance.
- Offers maximum redundancy and reliability.
- Complex to implement and expensive due to many cables and ports.
- Often used in critical backbone networks or small, highly resilient environments.
Memory trick: Mesh creates many paths, making it strong.