What is the difference between star bus and ring topologies?

Difference between Star topology and Bus topology

Prerequisite – Types of Network Topology

1. Star Topology :
Star topology is basically used for Local Area networks in which all nodes are connected to a central point called Hub, which connects them into the communication channel. The connections are in such a manner that n number of wires are required to connect n number of end devices or nodes. Traffic is generated from the central hub of the star. The central hub controls communication between all the nodes, message sent by one node reaches the hub first, and then it is transmitted to the receiver node through the hub.

2. Bus Topology :
Bus topology is a type of network topology in which all the devices are connected to a single cable which is called the backbone of the network. It consists of a terminator at each end of the cable. The network cable is responsible for the communication between the devices and when the data reaches the end of the cable it is removed by the terminator from the data line. It is the easiest network topology when the devices are to be connected in a linear fashion.

What is Star Topology

In a star topology, all the devices connect to a central node or a device. The central node can be a hub or a switch. Other devices connect to the central device via cables such as coaxial or twisted pair cables. The main advantage of the star topology is that it does not affect the communication among the devices. If communication of one device fails, it does not affect the other devices. Therefore, the network administrator can replace the cables or the failed device easily. Moreover, it is easier to set up and modify the network.

On the other hand, as all the information passes through the central device, all other devices rely on that device. So, if the central device fails, it will affect the functionality of the entire network. Also, more devices connecting to the central device can increase the workload of the central device. Usually, this network type is commonly used for home and office.

What is Ring Topology

The devices in a ring topology connect to each other similar to a ring. The first device connects to the next device. That device connects to the other device. Likewise, all the devices connect, and the last devices connect back to the first device forming a structure similar to a ring. Thus, each device connects to two devices.

A device receives a message from the previous device, and it sends that message to the next device. Likewise, the devices can exchange data by passing messages in a specific direction. When a device passes a message to another device, that message passes one after the other until it reaches the destination.

As the devices are connected in a sequential manner, failure in one device or related cables can affect the communication of the whole network. That is a major drawback in a ring topology.

What is Star Topology?

In the star topology, there is a connection between every device in the network to the central node. The central node is a device, which can be a switch or a hub. Further, the connections can be via twisted pair cables or coaxial cables.

Figure 01: Star Topology

The main advantage of the star topology is that it is easy to troubleshoot. Moreover, if one device fails, it will not affect the communication of the other devices. Therefore, it is easy to replace that faulty device with some other device. It is also easy to setup and modify the network. Furthermore, as there is only one central device, it is simple to upgrade.

Although it has many advantages, there are few drawbacks too. Information from all devices passes through the central device. Therefore, if the central device fails, the entire network fails. Another point is that the performance of the network highly depends on the central device. However, in overall, this topology is easy to install and manage and is ideal for home and office networks.

Difference between Star and Ring Topology

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Both Star and Ring are the types of network Topologies which could be defined as the arrangement of a network which comprises of nodes and connecting lines via sender and receiver. On the basis of nature and characteristics of both, we can distinguish between them.

Following are the important differences between Star and Ring Topology −

Nitin Sharma

Published on 09-Jun-2020 09:11:32

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Difference between Star topology and Bus topology

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