Mesh, Tree and Hybrid Topologies
What if we need very high reliability or a very big network?
- Describe mesh, tree and hybrid topologies
- Compare their cost and fault-tolerance
- Recognise them in real networks
Overview
Bus, star and ring are the basics. Mesh, tree and hybrid are what real large networks look like — combining shapes for reliability and scale.
Mesh
Every device connects to every other device (full mesh) or to several others (partial mesh). Very reliable — many paths for the data — but the cost of cables and ports grows quickly. Used in Internet backbones and mission-critical military networks.
Tree
A hierarchy: a root switch connects to sub-switches, which connect to end devices. Big schools and companies use tree topology because it scales cleanly. If a branch fails, only that branch is affected.
Hybrid
A mix of two or more topologies. Most real networks are hybrid: star inside each classroom, tree between classrooms, mesh at the ISP core.
Topology Table
- Fill a comparison table for bus, star, ring, mesh, tree, hybrid.
- Columns: cost, fault-tolerance, scalability, typical use.
- Which topology gives the highest fault tolerance?
Reveal answer
Mesh.
- Which is best for very large hierarchical organisations?
Reveal answer
Tree.
- Are most real-world networks pure or hybrid?
Reveal answer
Hybrid — they combine star, tree and sometimes mesh.
Search for a diagram of the Internet backbone. Which topology does it resemble most?