🌐 Build Your Own Network

Network Topology Builder

How do computers talk to each other? Place devices, connect them with cables or WiFi, then watch data travel across your network.

CS GCSE §1.3 CS A-Level Unit 3 DigiTech GCSE §1.1.2

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Or pick a device from the sidebar and click the canvas to build your own

Devices:0

Connections:0

Network shape:—

Weak point (SPOF):—

👋 Ready! Pick a device from the left panel, then click on the white canvas to place it. Or click the button above to load a Star Network.

📖 Network shapes (topologies) explained

⭐ Star — everything connects to one central device (like a switch). If that device fails, the whole network goes down. Most common in schools and offices.

📏 Bus — all devices share one cable (the "backbone"). Cheap but slow — only one device can send at a time.

💍 Ring — devices connect in a circle. Data travels one direction. If one cable breaks, the network stops.

🕸️ Mesh — every device connects to every other device. Very reliable but expensive — lots of cables needed.

🌲 Tree — like a family tree. A root device at the top, branches below. Used in large buildings.

🔗 Ethernet cable = 1 Gbps (fast, reliable, needs a physical wire) · 📶 WiFi = ~300 Mbps (wireless, convenient, slower)

📝 Exam term: SPOF = Single Point of Failure — one device that, if it breaks, takes down the whole network. In a star network, the central switch is the SPOF. Try removing it and see what happens!