Four topologies, one question: what dies when something breaks?
Pick a shape, pick n, then start cutting things. Forouzan §1.3 — mesh, star, bus, ring.
Mesh
Star
Bus
Ring
Devices n
6
End devices only — the star's hub is extra hardware, not one of the n.
Simple ring
Dual ring
Bypass switch
✂ Cut a link
☠ Kill the hub
Repair everything
Mesh n=6
Star hub dies
Bus cable cut
Ring one break
Dual ring survives
Bypass saves the ring
Links
Ports per device
Total ports to buy