In Ring topology, our devices are connected together in circular form.
In Ring topology, each node is connected to two and only two neighbouring nodes. Data is accepted from one of the neighbouring nodes and then is transmitted
onwards to another.
Therefore, data travels in one direction only, from node to node around the ring. After passing through each node, it returns to the sending node,
which removes it.
Important - Data passed through rather than travels past each node means that the signal may be amplified before being repeated on the outward channel
The technology uses the ring topology:
Advantages of Ring Topology
Here are the list of some advantages of using the ring topology:
- The amount of cabling involved in a ring topology is comparable to that of a bus topology and is small relative to that of a
star topology. It means
that less connections will be needed, which will in turn increase network reliability. In short, ring topology requires short cable length
- Since there is only one cable connecting each node to its immediate neighbours, it is not necessary to allocate space in the building for wiring closets.
In short, no wiring closet space required in ring topology
- Using optical fibers offers the possibility of very high speed transmission. Because traffic on a ring travels in one direction, it is easy to use
optical fibers as a medium of transmission. In short, ring topology is suitable for optical fibers
Disadvantages of Ring Topology
Here are the list of some disadvantages of using the ring or circular topology:
- The transmission of data on a ring goes through every connected node on the ring before returning to the sender. If one node fails to pass the data
through itself, then the entire network has failed and no traffic can flow until the defective node has been removed from the ring. In short, in ring
topology, node failure causes network failure
- The fact that failure of one node will affect all others has serious implications for fault diagnosis. It may be necessary to examine a series of
adjacent nodes to determine the faulty one. This operation may also require diagnostic facilities to be built into each node. In short, in ring topology,
it is difficult to diagnose faults
- It is not possible to shut down a small section of the ring while keeping the majority of it working normally. In short, in ring topology, network
reconfiguration is difficult
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