A Layer 2 switch only works with MAC addresses and doesn’t interact with any higher layer addresses, such as an IP. A Layer 3 switch, on the other hand, can also do static routing and dynamic routing, which includes IP and virtual local area network (VLAN) communications.

Network topology is the way a network is arranged, including the physical or logical description of how links and nodes are set up to relate to each other. There are numerous ways a network can be arranged, all with different pros and cons, and some are more useful in certain circumstances than others.

A network topology in which there is a direct path, i.e., branch, between any two nodes. Note 1: A fiber optic net may be a fully connected network. Note 2: In a fully connected network with n nodes, there are n(n−1)/2 direct paths, i.e., branches.

Logical network diagrams focus in on how traffic flows across the network, IP addresses, admin domains, how domains are routed, control points, and so on. A physical network diagram will, ideally, show the network topology exactly as it is: with all of the devices and the connections between them.

The best network mapping software

1. SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper (FREE TRIAL)
2. Datadog Live Network Mapping (FREE TRIAL)
3. Spiceworks Network Mapping Tool.
4. Microsoft Visio.
5. Intermapper.
6. Lucidchart.
7. ConceptDraw Diagram.
8. Edraw Max.

How to create a network diagram

1. Select a network diagram template.
2. Name the network diagram.
3. Remove existing elements that you don’t need on your diagram.
4. Add network components to the diagram.
5. Name the items in your network diagram.
6. Draw connections between components.
7. Add a title and share your network diagram.

Microsoft Visio, LucidChart, and ConceptDraw are diagramming tools that will help you with Network Mapping. Spiceworks Network Mapping Software and jNetMap are completely free tools. All other tools are commercial or licensed. Lucidchart, Paessler PRTG Network Monitor, and Intermapper offers a free version.

A network diagram is a graphical representation of the project and is composed of a series of connected arrows and boxes to describe the inter-relationship between the activities involved in the project. Boxes or nodes represent the description of activities and arrows show the relationship among the activities.

Fact: The critical path is the longest path through the network diagram, meaning the sequence of activities that collectivity define the starting and ending dates for the project and have no slack or float time (excess time). Conversely, non-critical paths have slack time which is the amount of time a task can slip.

For example, in the diagram below, activities E, F, G, H, and I make up the critical path. Their total duration is 100 hours. Activities B, C, D and E make up the second longest sequence with a total duration of 90 hours. The difference between their total duration is 10 hours.

The Precedence Diagramming Method uses four relationships: Finish to Start (FS) Finish to Finish (FF) Start to Start (SS)

Precedence Diagram Method (PDM) is a visual representation technique that depicts the activities involved in a project. It is a method of constructing a project schedule network diagram that uses boxes/nodes to represent activities and connects them with arrows that show the dependencies.

A dummy activity is an activity added to a project schedule as a placeholder. A dummy activity is intended to show a path of action in a project activity diagram and is employed when a logical relationship between two activities cannot be linked by showing the use of arrows linking one activity to another.

Dummy activities often have a zero completion time and are used to represent precedence relationships that cannot be easily (if at all) represented using the actual activities involved in the project. By convention dummies are always shown as dotted arcs in network diagrams.

A dummy activity is one that has zero duration. A dummy is needed in this network to show that G depends on C whereas F depends on C and E.

A Hammock Activity is a schedule or project planning term for grouping smaller subtasks that hang between two dates. The sub tasks are not really related in a hierarchical sense. This means that there is no fixed sequence of tasks – any of these subtasks can be done at any time, but there is no particular sequence.