Network topology: A network topology is the arrangement of a network, including its nodes and connecting lines. There are two ways of defining network geometry: the physical topology and the logical (or signal) topology. 1. The physical topology of a network is the actual geometric layout of workstations 2. Logical (or signal) topology refers to the nature of the paths the signals follow from node to node. In many instances, the logical topology is the same as the physical topology, but this is not always the case. For example, some networks are physically laid out in a star configuration, but they operate logically as bus or ring networks
Network Standards: The different network standards are:
1. Ethernet (IEEE 802.3)
2. Token ring (IEEE 802.5)
3. Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11)
4. FDDI
Token Ring: A Token Ring network is a local area network (LAN) in which all computers are connected in a ring or star topology and a bit- or token-passing scheme is used in order to prevent the collision of data between two computers that want to send messages at the same time. The Token Ring protocol is the second most widely-used protocol on local area networks after Ethernet.
Token ring local area network (LAN) technology is a protocol which resides at the data link layer (DLL) of the OSI model. It used a special three-byte frame called a token that travels around the ring. Token-possession grants the possessor permission to transmit on the medium. Token ring frames travel completely around the loop.
The data transmission process goes as follows: Empty information frames are continuously circulated on the ring. When a computer has a message to send, it seizes the token. The computer will then be able to send the frame. The frame is then examined by each successive workstation. The workstation that identifies itself to be the destination for the message copies it from the frame and changes the token back to 0. When the frame gets back to the originator, it sees that the token has been changed to 0 and that the message has been copied and received. It removes the message from the frame. The frame continues to circulate as an "empty" frame, ready to be taken by a workstation when it has a message to send.