Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) NetworkingNetworking FundamentalsEasy
A network administrator is designing a network topology for a new small office where all devices need to connect directly to a central device. If the central device fails, the entire network segment will go down. Which network topology is being described?
- ARing topology
- BStar topology
- CMesh topology
- DBus topology
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Star topology
In a star topology, all devices connect to a central hub or switch. If this central device fails, all connected devices lose network access, which matches the description.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. In a ring topology, devices connect in a circular fashion, and failure of one link can break the ring, but not necessarily a single central device.
- C. A mesh topology has redundant connections, so the failure of a single device or link does not bring down the entire network.
- D. In a bus topology, devices connect to a single cable, and a break can bring down the segment, but there's no single central device.
Star Topology
A star topology is a network arrangement where every node (workstation, server, etc.) is connected to a central hub, switch, or computer.
- All devices connect to a central point.
- Failure of the central device brings down the entire network segment.
- Easy to install and manage, and fault isolation for individual devices is simple.
Memory trick: Star: Central Point, Single Failure.