Mesh Network Topology

MESH NETWORK TOPOLOGY

Network Topology refers to the physical or logical layout of a network. Mesh network topology is a type of site-to-site WAN topology in which each network device  is connected to every other device  through a dedicated link (that carries data for the two connected devices only ). There is no concept of a central hub or computer which acts as a central point of communication.

So, if we have n devices in the network then each device must be connected with (n-1) devices.Further, the number of links in a mesh topology of n devices can be calculated by a simple formula i.e. n(n-1)/2.

Mesh topology is commonly used for wireless networks.

ADVANTAGES

• Mesh topology is reliable as failure of one device does not affect the communication between other devices in the network.
• It can manage high amounts of traffic as there are dedicated point-to-point links for each computer.
• It provides high privacy and security as point-to-point link assures against any unauthorized access.
• The point-to-point connection makes fault detection simpler and less cumbersome.
• It is highly redundant and the time lag is less when comparing with other topologies( like hub and spoke, partial mesh).

DISADVANTAGES

• The cost of implementation is high.
• Building and installation is tedious and time consuming as each device needs to be connected with other devices.
• Sometimes there are scalability issues as a device cannot be connected with large number of other devices with a dedicated point-to-point link.

Watch this video for better understanding of Topologies: