Basic Structure of Ring Topology

Basic Structure of Ring Topology

All devices are connected to each other in the form of a closed loop like ring. Each device has only two neighbors for communication purpose one is upstream and another is downstream. Data travels through many points before reaching the destination which makes it inefficient network compared to a star network. The basic structure topology is shown in Figure

For example, consider a ring network having five devices as shown in above figure. If device 1 wants to transmit data to device 3, data must travel from device 1, through device 2 and then to its destination device 3.

This topology also sends data on priority basis where messages of higher priority are sent before messages with lower priority.

Dual Topology

In ring topology, single ring is used whereas dual ring network topology consists of two concentric rings, primary and secondary, to connect each device on a network. Primary ring carries data in one direction whereas secondary ring carries data in the opposite direction. Secondary ring is used if primary ring stops working. Thus, the secondary ring is redundant. In dual ring topology, it is difficult to add new devices. For this, each station should have two transmitter ports and two receiver ports. The basic structure of a dual ring topology is shown in Figure

Advantages and Disadvantages of Ring Topology

In ring topology, collisions are avoided as only one device is allowed to transmit at a time. Bad network cards or improper hub units can still affect the network.

Advantages of ring topology are:

• Easier to mange as compared to Bus network
• Can handle large volume of traffic
• Very reliable and offers great speed
• Provides a good communication over a long distance
• No terminators are required

Disadvantages of ring topology are:

• More cable wires compared to bus topology are required
• One faulty device affects the entire network
• Addition and changes of devices can affect the network