physical topology

6.7

How people place devices and cables in a computer network

noun

Specialized

: topología física

Network administrators must plan the physical topology before installing cables and devices.

Examples

The physical topology of the office network is a star configuration.
Different physical topologies can affect network performance and reliability.
The physical topology of the network is crucial for performance.
Can you explain the physical topology of our office network?
Different physical topologies can affect network performance and reliability.
Network administrators must plan the physical topology before installing cables and devices.
The physical topology of the office network is a star configuration.

Antonyms

logical topology

Specialized

6.1

How computers and devices are connected so they can communicate, not where they are placed

How Complex

mesh topology

Specialized

6.2

physical topology

Specialized

6.7

star topology

Specialized

5.5

bus topology

Specialized

4.9

Surface Forms

physical topology singular

physical topologies plural

Morphology

physical + topology

The phrase is a straightforward modifier-noun composition: 'topology' means a configuration of nodes/links and 'physical' specifies the material/tangible aspect, so 'physical topology' clearly denotes the physical arrangement of devices and cables. This is a compositional, cross-linguistically common pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Physical topology comes from the simple image of a map that shows where each device and cable sits in a building. Here physical means 'real' or seen and topology means 'layout', so the phrase means the 'real arrangement of devices and cables' in a network.