Common Network Diagrams

Common Network Diagrams

What is a Network Diagram?

A network diagram is a visual representation of a computer or telecommunications network. It shows the components that make up a network and how they are interconnected. The components included in the diagram are routers, devices, hubs, firewalls, etc.




A network diagram can be either physical or logical.
  1. Logical network diagrams
  2. Physical network diagrams

  1. Logical network diagram


A logical network diagram describes the way information flows through a network. Therefore, logical network diagrams typically show subnets (including VLAN IDs, masks, and addresses), network devices like routers and firewalls, and routing protocols.



  1. Physical network diagram

A physical network diagram shows the actual physical arrangement of the components that make up the network, including cables and hardware.
Typically, the diagram gives a bird’s eye view of the network in its physical space, like a floorplan.



As above diagram shows the rough sketch, and actual physical diagram will be much more detailed and consists of below details as well.
  1. IP Address: The IP address for all the devices connected has to be mentioned.
  1. Port Mapping or Interface Details: Port Mapping is the detailed view of ports or interfaces that has been connected are shown in the drawing. It should be described in port type with source to destination device.
  1. Termination Details: Termination details are the details of source and the destination point, and type of the interface that shall be Ethernet, Fiber Optic, etc.
  1. Equipment Types: What type of equipment or device shown in the drawing has to be mentioned.
  1. Equipment Tag:  The equipment tag is the naming value. This tag numbers for each device may vary depends on the drawing requirement, for each devices the tag numbers are very important to identify.
  1. Location: Mentioning the geographical location of cabinets, racks, or device that where it is going to be placed.
  1. Cable scheduling: Cable scheduling is more important for monitoring and maintaining the network devices, each cable should be get tagged with a name. And this schedule list contains of Source device, source device interface type and interface count value, destination device, Destination device interface type, Destination interface count value.
  1. Detail Engineering: The detail engineering is the process has overall network devices cabinet arrangement, connectivity or terminations, wiring, function design specifications, Mounting and installations etc.

    Conclusion: Network Drawings will vary depending on the different type of network topologies. These drawings also assist network engineers in troubleshooting as well.