What physical topology results when multiple devices connect to a central switch?

What physical topology results when multiple devices connect to a central switch?

• A. Star topology
• B. Ring topology
• C. Bus topology
• D. Mesh topology

Answer: (A)

This question tests how devices are physically connected in a network. When many devices connect to a single central device, the layout is a star topology. Each device has its own separate link to the central switch, so all communications pass through that central point. This setup makes it easy to add new devices and isolates problems to individual links, and with a switch, each link forms its own collision domain, improving performance. Other topologies described—ring (devices in a closed loop), bus (all devices on a single shared backbone), and mesh (many interconnections between devices)—don’t match the described arrangement.

This question tests how devices are physically connected in a network. When many devices connect to a single central device, the layout is a star topology. Each device has its own separate link to the central switch, so all communications pass through that central point. This setup makes it easy to add new devices and isolates problems to individual links, and with a switch, each link forms its own collision domain, improving performance. Other topologies described—ring (devices in a closed loop), bus (all devices on a single shared backbone), and mesh (many interconnections between devices)—don’t match the described arrangement.