physical topology LastModified: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
The physical layout of devices on a network. Every LAN has a topology, or the way that the devices on a network are arranged and how they communicate with each other. The way that the workstations are connected to the network through the actual cables that transmit data -- the physical structure of the network -- is called the physical topology. The logical topology, in contrast, is the way that the signals act on the network media, or the way that the data passes through the network from one device to the next without regard to the physical interconnection of the devices. A network's logical topology is not necessarily the same as its physical topology. For example, twisted pair Ethernet is a logical bus topology in a physical star topology layout. While IBM's Token Ring is a logical ring topology, it is physically set up in a star topology. For network diagrams, see Network Topology Diagrams in the Quick Reference section of Webopedia.
Topologies Understanding the topology of LAN technologies can tell you a lot about your alternatives when installing or expanding a LAN.	related categories: Network Protocols Network Topologies Networks Virtualization related terms: 5-4-3 rule local-area network LocalTalk logical logical topology physical ring network star network token bus network token-ring network topology Shopping physical topology Products Compare Products,Prices and Stores Shop by Category: Musical Instruments 0 Store Offers Transceivers 4 Store Offers