What is logical and physical topology?

Physical & Logical Topologies

People often draw diagrams or pictures to help describe complicated things. Maps are pictures of routes to get from point A to point B. Instruction manuals use diagrams to help us figure out how to put things together.

When we use the word topology in this lesson, we're referring to how things in a network are connected, as in a configuration.

• A physical topology describes how network devices are physically connected - in other words, how devices are actually plugged into each other. We're talking about cables, wireless connectivity, and more.
• A logical topology describes how network devices appear to be connected to each other.

For example, in a logical diagram of your office network, you may show a connection between city A and city B. But in the actual physical network, your data may go through switching points in several other cities as well. The logical path is a high-level representation; the physical path is the actual route.