There are several topologies of networking computers that can be used for different purposes. The most typical ones are the bus, ring, tree, star, and mesh among others (Brown, DeHayes, Slater, Martin, & Perkins, 2011). For an IT Manager working in a small travel company, including the owner and five employees, it is possible to adopt the star topology in order to positively affect productivity and efficiency of operations in this organization.
Thus, the topology chosen for this travel business with the owner and five employees, where three employees are travel agents, is known as a star. This specific topology is selected because all six computers can be independently and simultaneously connected to one switch, as it is appropriate for this scenario. Additionally, a printer should also be connected to this switch (Mitchell, 2019). The Internet connection is possible through the cable connecting computers to the switch and router and through a wireless router to use it by travel agents on their laptops when they work in the office. The fact that the office space is small indicates that no much cable is required.
A star network allows for sharing the same data quickly, and the failure in the connection between a computer and a switch affects only this node, without damaging the whole network. This type of networks also allows for adding more computers or nodes, and it will be possible to easily connect new employees’ three computers to the network (Mitchell, 2019). All employees in the office can use the same printer connected to the switch or hub. Thus, the needs of the business will be directly addressed with the help of the proposed network topology.
Referring to the requests of this travel company, it has also been possible to consider the tree topology. The reason is that it is also helpful to connect several computers in one network using the star principle. However, the tree topology is not appropriate for this organization because its use is too expensive for a small company, more cable is required, and it is problematic to configure such topology in the context of resources available to the owner (Mitchell, 2019).
From this perspective, the star topology is more advantageous, and the only significant drawback in this network is the fact that the failure of the hub or switch can lead to the failure of the whole system. The star is the best flexible and reliable solution to address the needs of the travel firm.
The analysis of the proposed network indicates that the star topology will contribute to increasing employees’ productivity and efficiency. The reason is that employees will be able to easily and quickly share their files and data between each other using the router and switch, and the wireless connection will also be available. All employees will receive an opportunity to utilize the printer because the connection will be granted via the hub. If the number of employees increases, more computers will be added to the network without affecting its performance and staff’s productivity. Furthermore, if needed, more printers and other devices can be connected to the hub to serve the needs of all users in the network. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the application of the star topology can significantly contribute to improving productivity and efficiency in the discussed firm.
References
Brown, C. V., DeHayes, D. W., Slater, J., Martin, W. E., & Perkins, W. C. (2011). Managing information technology (7th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.
Mitchell, B. (2019). Introduction to computer network topology. Web.