Topology

Correct Answer: Mesh

The Mesh topology is the best choice for a company requiring a highly redundant network, as each network node is connected to every other node. This means that there are multiple paths for data to travel, which reduces the risk of outages affecting critical systems. Redundancy is a key component of a resilient network, and Mesh topology provides the highest level of redundancy among the given options. Star topology, although commonly used, does not contain inherent redundancy - if the central hub or switch fails, then the entire network goes down. Ring topology offers some redundancy, but if one node fails, it can disrupt the entire network. Finally, a Bus topology offers the least amount of redundancy - a break in the main cable (the bus) results in the whole network going down.

Correct Answer: VLAN

VLAN would be the most appropriate choice for an organization with multiple departments that wants to isolate each department's network traffic for security purposes. VLAN, or Virtual Local Area Network, allows a network administrator to partition a network, isolating each department's traffic, adding a layer of security and making the network more efficient. Other options such as Ring, Hierarchical, and Bus doesn't inherently provide this kind of traffic segregation. A ring topology is a type of network configuration where each device is connected to two other devices, forming a circular pathway for signals. Hierarchical topology, while provides structured network connections, doesn't specifically isolate network traffic between departments. Similarly, in a bus topology, all devices are connected to a single cable (the bus), making it unsuitable for traffic isolation.

Correct Answer: Switched topology

Switched topology is the best choice for a network that requires inherent security to limit the impact of data sniffing on a single segment. This is because each device on a switched network has a dedicated path to the switch, which helps to isolate network traffic. As a result, sniffing or eavesdropping on traffic intended for one host does not automatically grant access to all traffic on the network, unlike in a bus or ring topology where data packets are seen by all devices on the network. A bus topology uses a single central cable to which all network devices are connected. All data packets transmitted across a bus network can be accessed by any device on the same network since they share the same transmission medium. This makes it more susceptible to data sniffing. Ring topology connects network devices in a closed loop or ring. Data packets travel around the ring, passing through each device until reaching their destination. This makes it possible to sniff the data as it passes through the intermediary devices. Star topology connects all devices to a central hub or switch. While it is more secure than a bus topology due to the central device managing connections, it is not inherently as secure as a switched topology because the central device could be a hub instead of a switch. A hub broadcasts the incoming data packets to all connected devices instead of sending them only to the intended destination device as a switch does.