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Difficulty: Very hardNetwork Topologies and Types

An enterprise network architect is designing a high-availability infrastructure for a university whose facilities span multiple adjacent buildings across a single geographic site. The core layer requires interconnecting 1010 distribution switches in a fully redundant physical topology to ensure that any single link or node failure will not disrupt inter-building communication. Simultaneously, the architect needs to correctly classify this network based on its geographical footprint. Which network type classification accurately describes this network scope, and what is the minimum number of dedicated point-to-point physical links required to achieve the full-mesh core topology?

  1. Campus Area Network (CAN) with 45 physical linksAnswer
  2. B
    Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) with 90 physical links
  3. C
    Local Area Network (LAN) with 45 physical links
  4. D
    Wide Area Network (WAN) with 100 physical links

Answer

Campus Area Network (CAN) with 45 physical links
The network footprint covers multiple adjacent buildings on a shared site, which is the precise definition of a Campus Area Network (CAN). To create a full-mesh topology among N=10N = 10 switches, the number of point-to-point physical links required is calculated as N(N−1)2=10×92=45\frac{N(N-1)}{2} = \frac{10 \times 9}{2} = 45.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the geographical network type classification.
The network connects multiple buildings within a contiguous site/campus, which defines a Campus Area Network (CAN).
LAN applies to a single building or localized space, MAN covers an entire city/town, and WAN spans broad geographical regions across telecommunication providers.
2
Calculate the required number of point-to-point links for a full-mesh topology.
Apply the full-mesh formula L=N(N−1)2L = \frac{N(N - 1)}{2} for N=10N = 10 core switches.
Each of the 10 switches must connect to the remaining 9 switches, avoiding duplicate link counts by dividing by 2.
3
Compute the numerical link requirement.
L=10×92=902=45L = \frac{10 \times 9}{2} = \frac{90}{2} = 45 physical links.
This guarantees direct point-to-point redundancy between every pair of core switches.

Key Concept

Full-Mesh Topology Link Formula and Geographical Network Types

Practice More

Calculate the link savings when transitioning from a full-mesh topology to a partial-mesh dual-hub star core topology for 10 switches.

Alternative Method

Alternatively, sum the number of new links added by each switch: Switch 1 adds 9 links, Switch 2 adds 8 links, ..., Switch 10 adds 0 links. 9+8+7+6+5+4+3+2+1+0=459 + 8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 + 0 = 45 links.
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Network Topologies and Types

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