A cable fault in which topology will result in loss of connectivity to at least one network element (NE)?

In a star topology, all network devices are connected to a central hub or switch. If there is a cable fault that affects the connection between the central hub and any connected network element (NE), that specific NE will lose connectivity. However, the other devices connected to the hub will typically remain unaffected, since they are independently connected to the central point.

This design means that if any single cable to a device fails, only that specific device loses its connection, while the rest of the network can continue to operate normally. In contrast, other topologies, like ring or bus, have different fault tolerant characteristics, where a fault can impact multiple connected devices more drastically. In a mesh topology, multiple paths exist between network elements, so a cable fault is less likely to cause complete loss of connectivity for any single NE.

Thus, in a star topology, a cable fault indeed results in loss of connectivity to at least one network element, making it the correct answer for this question.