Network Diagrams in Project Management and IT | WGU

Network diagrams give IT professionals a bird’s eye view of an organization’s technology infrastructure, its entire network. They’re made of nodes and lines with different icons to make elements in a network easy to visualize.  

There are two types of network diagrams used in IT: logical and physical. A logical diagram shows the flow of information through networks and how network devices—such as routers and firewalls—communicate with each other. A physical diagram shows all of the physical aspects and arrangement of a network, including servers, routers, ports, and cables.

To accurately diagram a network first requires an understanding of a network’s typology. Topologies are the layout of elements in a network and the connections between them. Network topologies can be categorized into different types, based on their visual layout. Some common types that apply to both physical and logical network layouts include ring topology, star topology, tree topology, bus topology, and mesh topology. No network topology is right for all networks, so understanding the different virtues of the most common types; ring topology, star topology, tree topology, bus topology, and mesh topology, and their various benefits, is important for IT professionals to understand and document in the topology diagram.  

Benefits of IT Network Diagramming

• Helps troubleshoot potential network issues. 
• Aids in proving compliance. 
• Provides an overview of inventory. 
• Makes it easier to see the scope of a network.