Bus Topology

In a bus topology, all the computers in a network are connected to one continuous cable, or segment. In this straight-line topology, data is transmitted to all computers on that segment.

Because of the way electrical signals are transmitted over this cable, the cable ends must be terminated by hardware devices called terminators, which act as the boundaries for the signal and define the segment. If there is a break anywhere in the cable or if an end is not terminated, the signal will echo back and forth across the segment and all communication will cease.

The higher the number of computers there are on the segment, the greater the backup of computers waiting to put data on the segment, and consequently, the slower the network becomes. Also, because of the way computers communicate in a bus topology, there may be a lot of noise. Noise is the traffic generated on the network when computers attempt to communicate with each other at the same time. An increase in the number of computers results in an increase in noise and a corresponding decrease in network efficiency.