The Difference Between Logical and Physical Design of a Network

Abstract

This paper will explain several differences between a logical network design and the physical design of a network. Most people tend to think of it as the logical meaning the functional part and the physical as the seeing it part. With saying that one must understand that there is more to the logical and physical design of a network than just the functional and seeing parts. In order for one to understand the differences of how the two operate and work from one to the other, one would need more information than just the functionality and seeing parts. In the following paragraphs of this paper, by trying to outline what makes up the differences between logical and physical design of a network one should then understand his/her purpose.

Connecting computers together to create a network greatly increases the communication capabilities and can even save a company substantial amounts of time and money. A well thought out network design from a small home network to a large corporate intranet can be a deciding factor in the success of a network. Two important steps in the designing of a successful network are the logical designing phase and physical designing phase. The difference between the two and the importance of each are explained in the following pages.

When speaking of the network design world, one must understand the importance of what the logical network design is and how it works; in addition, one must know and understand what the physical network design is. These two common design types are different in several ways but first let’s understand what they are. When looking at a logical network design, it easier to describe it as how the network will be structured, basically it focuses on all the logical aspects of the network. According to Webopedia, “the logical topology is the way that the signals act on the network media, or the way the data passes through the network from one device to the next without regard to the physical interconnection of the devices.” http://www.bibiesse.org/digitctionary/logical_topology.shtml

In a logical network layout, IP addresses are shown to be associated with each part of the network. “In most cases, the logical network is in a Class C network such as 192.168.0.0 with the default subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. Therefore, this type of network allows up to 254 hosts to be connected directly to it without the need of any routing.” http://www.firewall.cx/cabling_utp.php To add on this information, there are elements of a logical network which includes IP addresses that are assigned to devices such as routers, switches, servers, workstations and other devices used on a network. In addition, a logical design in most cases will not usually show the actual interfaces and physical cables in their diagrams which are shown in Diagram 1.

There are important