Which statement describes an extended star topology?

• A. End devices are connected together by a bus and each bus connects to a central intermediate device.
• B. End devices connect to a central intermediate device, which in turn connects to other central intermediate devices
• C. Each end system is connected to its respective neighbor via an intermediate device.
• D. All end and intermediate devices are connected in a chain to each other.

Answer: (B)

Extended star topology builds on the basic star by connecting several star networks through backbone links made by central devices. Each end device attaches to a central device (such as a switch or hub), and that central device then links to other central devices, creating a larger, hierarchical network. This arrangement enables scalability—the network can grow by adding more central devices that connect additional star groups—while maintaining isolation between subnets if a link or device fails. The description that fits this pattern is end devices connecting to a central intermediate device, which in turn connects to other central intermediate devices. Patterns that rely on a shared bus, a linear chain, or direct neighbor-to-neighbor connections don’t produce the interconnected star structure of an extended star.