Designing and Expanding the Network 2 -13
Choosing a Network Backbone Cabling StructureBecause of fiber's long-distance capabilities and imm unity to noise, 3Com
strongly recommends using fiber as the backbone. You can choose
between two fundamental configuration topologies when connecting your
network backbone using 10BASE-FL Modules in the ONline Sy st em
Concentrator:
❑Star Configuration
❑Serial Configuration
Star Configuration
Wire your network in a star confi guration using an ONline System
Concentrator as the central point in th e network. Wiring in a star topology
configuration has two major benefits:
❑Faults in the cable plant affect only a piece of the network
❑You can easily expand the size of your network
Figure 2-3 shows an example of a star-wired configuration