Figure 2-4 depicts a logical ring topology. A star topology is a LAN architecture in which the endpoints on a network are connected to a common central hub, or switch, by dedicated links. Logical bus and ring topologies are often implemented physically in a star topology, which is illustrated in Figure 2-5 . A tree topology is a LAN architecture that is identical to the bus topology, except that branches with multiple nodes are possible in this case. Figure 2-5 illustrates a logical tree topology.
Some networks implement a logical ring topology.
A logical tree topology can contain multiple nodes. LAN Devices Devices commonly used in LANs include repeaters , hubs , LAN extenders , bridges , LAN switches , and routers . Note Repeaters, hubs, and LAN extenders are discussed briefly in this section. A repeater is a physical layer device used to interconnect the media segments of an extended network. A repeater essentially enables a series of cable segments to be treated as a single cable.