Types of networks

Broadcast network A broadcast network avoids the complex routing procedures of a switched network by ensuring that each node's transmissions are received by all other nodes in the network. Therefore, a broadcast network has only a single communications channel. A wired local area network (LAN), for example, may be set up as a broadcast network, with one user connected to each node and the nodes typically arranged in a bus, ring, or star topology, as shown in the figure. Nodes connected together in a wireless LAN may broadcast via radio or optical links. On a larger scale, many satellite radio systems are broadcast networks, since each Earth station within the system can typically hear all messages relayed by a satellite.