Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.07.14
What are the three common physical WAN topologies?
Point-to-point (one link, two endpoints), hub-and-spoke (central site links branches), and mesh (everything connected to everything).
* Point-to-point links two sites; hub-and-spoke funnels branches through a centre; mesh links everything to everything. *
| Topology | Description | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Point-to-Point | Permanent link between two endpoints | Simplest and most common WAN topology; protocols can be very simple |
| Hub and Spoke | Central site interconnects branch sites through point-to-point links | WAN version of star topology; branch sites cannot communicate without going through central site |
| Mesh | Every end system connected to every other end system | Provides high availability; administrative and physical costs can be significant |
Go deeper:
WAN Topologies — point-to-point, hub-and-spoke, full mesh (Study-CCNA) — walks through all three with diagrams; deepest single-page treatment of the exact trio.- WAN Technologies Overview (Cisco Press) — authoritative Cisco source mapping each topology to real leased-line/circuit implementations.
- Network topology (Wikipedia) — diagrammed reference covering point-to-point, star, and mesh.