Physical or Logical Topology?

About this interactive

The lesson's examples: - **Hub:** physically a star, every device cabled to the hub. Logically a bus: when one device talks, every other device hears it, and two talking at once collide. - **Switch:** physically a star, and logically a star too. Each device sends to the switch, which sends it on to the device it is for. - **Token passing:** devices take turns in a fixed order, so data flows in a logical ring. IEEE 802.5 Token Ring cabled each station to a central unit (a MAU), a physical star. Token passing on one shared cable, a physical bus, is token bus (IEEE 802.4); the video calls that token ring too. Ask two questions: how are the cables laid out, and who hears or takes turns when one device sends?

What you'll learn

Name the physical topology (how the devices are cabled) and the logical topology (how the data flows) of a hub, a switch and token passing networks
Recognize that a hub is a physical star but a logical bus, a switch is a star both ways, and token passing makes a logical ring on a star or a bus of cables

Aligned to

CompTIA Network+

1.6 Compare and contrast network topologies, architectures, and types.

Cisco CCNA

1.2 Describe characteristics of network topology architectures

Cisco CCST Networking

1.1 Identify the fundamental conceptual building blocks of networks

Key terms

Physical Topology: The physical layout and physical connections of devices in a network, describing how they are physically arranged and wired together.
Logical Topology: The way data actually flows through a network, which may differ from the physical arrangement of devices.
Bus Topology: A network design in which all nodes share a single communication line, historically common in early networking.
Star Topology: A network design in which all nodes connect to a central hub or switch, also called a hub-and-spoke topology.
Ring Topology: A network design in which nodes are connected in a closed loop, used in some Layer 2 and Layer 3 self-healing implementations.
Hub: A basic Layer 1 network device that receives a signal on one port and repeats it out every other port simultaneously, creating a single shared collision domain among all connected devices. Hubs have been replaced by switches in modern networks because they waste bandwidth and cause collisions.
Switch: A network device that connects devices within a LAN and forwards traffic based on MAC addresses.

Topics

Physical Topology Logical Topology Hub Switch Token Passing Interactive Predict

About TechKnowSurge

TechKnowSurge builds IT and cybersecurity professionals through hands-on, concept-first training built around real understanding — not memorization. Free interactive tools, structured programs, and 25+ years of real-world experience, all in one place.

Explore free tools and programs →