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Networknetwork: a group of interconnected computers topology refers to how computers are connected to a network. There are three main types of network topology: bus, ring and star.
The bus network
In a bus network all the workstationsworkstation: a computer connected to a network, serversserver: a computer that provides services to users, eg access to shared files, web hosting, file storage and printers are joined to one cable (the bus). At each end of the cable a terminatorterminator: a device that terminates signals to prevent them reflecting back down the line is fitted to stop signals reflecting back down the bus.
A bus network, connecting several workstations, servers and printers.
Advantages and disadvantages of a bus network
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| easy to install | if the main cable fails or gets damaged the whole network will fail |
| cheap to install, as it doesn’t require much cable | as more workstations are connected the performance of the network will become slower because of datadata: information without context, eg a list of students with numbers beside their names is data, when it's made clear that those numbers represent their placing in a 100 metre race, the data becomes information collisions |
| every workstation on the network "sees" all of the data on the network – this is a security risk |
Links
On bbc.co.uk
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