A linear LAN architecture in which transmissions from various stations on the…

Concept

A network topology describes how stations and communication links are arranged. In a shared-medium topology, every station attaches to the same communication path, so a signal injected by one station travels through that common path and can be observed by the other attached stations.

A linear shared-medium LAN uses one backbone cable with stations connected along its length. This differs from layouts built from dedicated point-to-point links or from a central switching device.

Application

1. The stem specifies a linear LAN, so the physical communication path is a single line rather than a collection of independent links.

2. It says transmissions are reproduced over the length of the medium, which identifies one shared backbone carrying the signal past the attached stations.

3. It also says the other stations accept those transmissions, which is the broadcast behavior of a bus topology. Therefore, the described architecture is Bus Topology.

Contrast

• Mesh Topology uses several point-to-point links and can provide multiple routes between stations.

• Star Topology gives each station a separate link to a central hub or switch.

• Cell Topology divides wireless coverage into geographic cells served by base stations.

Cross-check

Replacing the shared backbone with a central hub would make the layout star-shaped, while adding dedicated interconnections would make it mesh-like. Keeping one common linear backbone preserves the bus structure.

Result

The linear shared-medium LAN described in the question is Bus Topology.