Difference Between Star and Ring Topology

Star topology centers around a central hub connecting all nodes. It offers easy management and scalability but is vulnerable to hub failure. Ring topology forms a closed loop with data circulating among nodes. It provides fault tolerance but is complex to manage and expand.

What is Star Topology?

Star topology is also known as star network. It is a client-server connection model. This configuration connects All nodes to a central controller called a hub. Each node communicates with others through this central hub. The following image shows how to start topology connect and work:

What is Ring Topology?

Ring topology is also known as ring network. It operates on a peer-to-peer connection model. In this setup, nodes are connected in a circular formation. Data travels around the ring in one direction, passing through each node until it reaches its destination. The following image shows how to start topology connect and work:

Star and Ring Topology Difference

This table helps you to understand the difference between star and ring topology easily:

Features	Ring Topology	Bus Topology
Connection of nodes	Nodes are connected in the form of a ring or loop	Nodes are connected to a single cable called the bus
Expansion and flexibility	Difficult to add new nodes or modify existing ones; low flexibility	Relatively easy to add new nodes or modify existing ones; moderate flexibility
Communication delay	Increases with the addition of new nodes	Not significantly affected by adding new nodes
Node failure impact	Failure of one link can disrupt the entire network	Failure of one node doesn’t affect the whole network, but main cable failure disrupts everything
Response time	Relatively good	Can be slower, especially in networks with heavy traffic
Data transfer direction	Either clockwise or anticlockwise	Both directions to all nodes
Fault identification	Easier to locate problems with devices and cable	It can be challenging, especially for cable faults
Access rate	Low	Moderate
Cabling cost	High (n cables for n nodes)	Low (only one main cable needed)
Data collision chances	Very low	High, especially in larger networks
Signal transmission	Only in one direction	Bi-directional
Transmission speed	Moderate	High for small networks, decreases as the network grows
Complexity	More complex due to more cables	Simple in design and implementation
Troubleshooting	Difficult to reconfigure and troubleshoot	Easy to install, but can be difficult to troubleshoot
Application	Used in Wide Area Networks	Commonly used in small networks and Ethernet installations
Installation and maintenance	Difficult	Installation is easy, but maintenance can be challenging if the main cable fails