What are the differences between Physical and Logical Topology?

The network topology is a structure or the physical arrangement of the network devices, how the components of the network are interconnected with each other.

Types of network topology are as follows

• Bus

• Star

• Ring

• Mesh

• Hybrid

Logical Topology

It tells about a network that should be configured for the transfer of information. This is different from physical topology as it does not explain the physical wiring of a network, but instead, it describes the flow of data, information, and back, from one system to another and the routes it takes.

Some examples of Logical topology are as follows −

• Logical Star Topology − Uses logical bus topology to transfer data among devices.

• Logical Ring Topology − One node is allowed to transfer data in a network at a time. This is implemented by using a token system so that only one is allowed at a time.

Physical Topology

A Physical topology explains about how network devices are physically connected or how devices are actually plugged into each other, for example cables, wireless connectivity and more.

It is a diagram which shows the structure of how devices are connected physically inside a network. It refers to how a network looks and functions.

Types

The types of physical topology are as follows −

• Linear Bus topology − A single wire cable that connects to all network nodes directly.

• Star topology − It is a single access point topology; it means all nodes are connected directly at one point.

• Tree topology − It is the combination of star and bus topologies. It has multiple access points that are connected to bus topology while others are connected to their respective access points.

Advantages

The advantages of physical topology are as follows −

• It is easy to maintain.

• It is easy to install.

• It is cost effective.

• Its fault is easy to determine effectively.

Differences

The major differences between physical topology and logical topology are given below −