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Difficulty: HardNetwork Topologies and Types

A financial firm operates four distinct branch offices located across a single city. To connect the offices, the firm leases dedicated dark fiber circuits that physically link the edge routers at each site in a redundant closed loop. However, to meet strict auditing standards, all inter-subnet traffic between branches is required to pass through a centralized security gateway at the headquarters office for Layer 3 policy enforcement before being forwarded to its destination. Which of the following best classifies the geographic scope of this inter-branch network and describes its logical traffic topology?

  1. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) with a logical star topologyAnswer
  2. B
    Campus Area Network (CAN) with a physical star topology
  3. C
    Wide Area Network (WAN) with a logical mesh topology
  4. D
    Storage Area Network (SAN) with a physical ring topology

Answer

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) with a logical star topology
The network spans across a single city, which fits the standard definition of a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN). While the physical dark fiber cabling forms a closed loop between edge routers (physical ring topology), all inter-subnet data flows are constrained to pass through a single central security gateway at headquarters before reaching their final destination. This centralized data path forms a hub-and-spoke pattern, which defines a logical star topology.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the geographic classification of the network
The network connects multiple distinct sites within the bounds of a single city, which defines a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN).
Geographic scope definitions classify single-building networks as LANs, contiguous multi-building sites as CANs, city-wide networks as MANs, and regional/global networks as WANs.
2
Differentiate between physical layout and logical traffic flow
The physical layout is a ring (closed loop of dark fiber), but the logical flow is a star (hub-and-spoke).
Physical topology describes how cables and devices are physically interconnected. Logical topology describes how data actually flows through the network. Because all traffic must traverse the central gateway at headquarters before reaching its destination, data flows in a hub-and-spoke pattern regardless of the physical fiber paths.

Key Concept

Physical vs. Logical Topologies and Geographic Network Classifications
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Topics

Network Topologies and Types

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