Which topology uses a single trunk backbone that connects all devices?

Which topology uses a single trunk backbone that connects all devices?

• A. Star Topology
• B. Bus Topology
• C. Mesh Topology
• D. Hybrid Topology

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is how devices are connected through a single shared path. A bus topology uses one main trunk cable that runs through the entire network, and every device taps into that same backbone. Because all devices share the same medium, signals travel along the line and every device can see traffic, though only the intended recipient processes it. Terminators at both ends prevent the signal from bouncing back along the line. This setup is simple and inexpensive and was common in early Ethernet networks. However, because everything shares one cable, the network’s capacity is shared among all devices, collisions can occur (especially in older Ethernet with half-duplex), and adding more devices or long cable runs can degrade performance. If the trunk backbone fails, the whole network can go down. The other topologies don’t fit the description: a star uses a central hub or switch with individual point-to-point links to devices, a mesh has multiple direct interconnections between devices, and a hybrid mixes different topologies. So the single trunk backbone that connects all devices is a bus topology.

The idea being tested is how devices are connected through a single shared path. A bus topology uses one main trunk cable that runs through the entire network, and every device taps into that same backbone. Because all devices share the same medium, signals travel along the line and every device can see traffic, though only the intended recipient processes it. Terminators at both ends prevent the signal from bouncing back along the line. This setup is simple and inexpensive and was common in early Ethernet networks.

However, because everything shares one cable, the network’s capacity is shared among all devices, collisions can occur (especially in older Ethernet with half-duplex), and adding more devices or long cable runs can degrade performance. If the trunk backbone fails, the whole network can go down.

The other topologies don’t fit the description: a star uses a central hub or switch with individual point-to-point links to devices, a mesh has multiple direct interconnections between devices, and a hybrid mixes different topologies. So the single trunk backbone that connects all devices is a bus topology.