A ring network is a local area network (LAN) in which the nodes (workstations or other devices) are connected in a closed loop configuration. Adjacent pairs of nodes are directly connected. Other pairs of nodes are indirectly connected, the data passing through one or more intermediate nodes.
The illustration shows a ring network with five nodes. Each node is shown as a sphere, and connections are shown as straight lines. The connections can consist of wired or wireless links.
BUS TOPOLOGY
A bus topology is a type of network setup where each computer and network device are connected to a single cable or backbone. Bus networks are useful in small networks (like those setup in a small offices) and have the advantage of using less cable. Their main disadvantage is that if any segment of the network fails, all transmissions do as well. Below is a visual example of a simple computer setup on a network using the bus topology.
STAR TOPOLOGY
Alternatively referred to as a star network, a star topology is one of the most common network setups where each of the devices and computers on a network connect to a central hub. A major disadvantage of this network topology is that if the central hub fails, all computers connected to that hub would be disconnected. Below is a visual example of a simple computer setup on a network using the star topology.
HYBRID TOPOLOGY
Hybrid networks use a combination of any two or more topologies in such a way that the resulting network does not exhibit one of the standard topologies (e.g., bus, star, ring, etc.).
A hybrid topology is always produced when two different basic network topologies are connected. Two common examples for Hybrid network are: star ring network and star bus network.
