LAN Topology Mapper

LAN topology is defined as the ways devices, nodes, and connections on your local area network (LAN) are arranged in relation to each other. You can either have a physical LAN topology or a logical LAN topology.

• Physical topology refers to the physical connections between the many nodes on your network—including the cables and wires connecting the devices. It covers the concrete connections between those nodes.
• A logical topology refers to how nodes relate to each other in terms of how data and traffic move through them. It helps explain both how and why the network is arranged the way it is.

There are a few different primary types of LAN topologies, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages. These topologies can be used for both physical and logical LAN topologies and can be adjusted and combined as needed. The basic LAN topologies are:

Bus: The bus topology is a linear topology that orients all the devices on your network along a cable running in a single direction from one end of your network to the other. Data flowing through the network will also flow in one direction with this topology.

Ring: In a ring topology, your nodes are arranged on a closed circular transmission path where data passes through each station in order before coming back to its point of origin. Ring topologies use multistation access units, or MAUs, to let each device connect to the LAN. The MAUs let data travel either clockwise or counterclockwise.

Star: In the star topology all your devices are connected to a central hub, like a switch or hub, through dedicated or shared LAN segments. Unlike with the bus or ring topologies, the loss of a single link will not interfere with the connection for all the other unaffected nodes since each node is attached to the central hub independently.

Tree: With the tree topology, the central hub acts as a sort of trunk for the LAN network, with nodes extending outwards like branches. Unlike in a star topology, not every node is connected directly to the central hub. Instead, there is a parent-child hierarchy to the nodes. The nodes connected to the central hub are also linearly connected to other nodes.

The layout of your network can play a critical role when it comes to both how and how well your network functions. When you choose the right LAN topology for your network, you can improve performance while also making it easier to identify problems, troubleshoot issues, and allocate resources more effectively.

A LAN network mapper can give you a visual representation of your network and the relationships between your devices. The mapper can also help you keep track of what’s happening in your network and even demonstrate compliance with industry standards that demand you have an up-to-date topology map.

LAN topology software is built to take the difficulty out of maintaining an up-to-date LAN topology map. Instead of manually creating and updating your LAN topology maps—a process that can be inefficient, time-consuming, and prone to human error—a LAN mapper can automatically discover devices on your network and create a map representing your full LAN topology. LAN topology software maps can help give you insight into device configuration and performance issues that could be more difficult to identify using manual device topology mapping.

LAN topology software can automate the process of network discovery and topology mapping by scanning your LAN network to discover the devices connected to it. The tool can use discovery protocols, including SNMP, CDP, ICMP, and more, to detect nodes, then the LAN mapper can collect polling data to understand the function of each of the nodes and is designed to create a map to visually represent the devices it discovers and their relationships. A quality LAN mapping tool can also let you schedule automated scans to check your network for any changes to your devices at regular intervals. If there are changes, the tool can automatically update your LAN topology map to reflect them, so your map stays up to date.

SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper (NTM) is built to simplify the LAN topology mapping process by automating network discovery, mapping, and allows you to create several maps from a single network scan to save you bandwidth, resources, and time by not having to rescan each time you would like to create another map. NTM can also help ensure your LAN topology maps are up to date by letting you schedule automated network scans at an interval of your choosing. If NTM discovers changes to your network devices, it can automatically update the maps accordingly.

The tool is also highly customizable to allow you to create the network topology view you need. For example, NTM lets you manually add and remove devices and customize scans to focus on specific subnets or to exclude certain devices. The tool’s Network Discovery Scan Wizard can also make it easier to conduct one-time network scans whenever you need them or create a specific schedule for scans that occur at your desired time interval. Once you have a full scan of your network, NTM also lets you customize the visual interface of your LAN topology diagram, so it’s as useful to you as possible.