17 May 2018

Advantages and disadvantages of star topology

A star topology is one type of network topology, In this topology, all the network nodes are individually connected to a central switch, hub or computer. This point acts as a central point of communication which to pass on the message. Star topology has many more advantages compared to other topology, so here this article gives information about the advantages and disadvantages of star topology to know more details about it.

Advantages of star topology :
  • It is a good opinion for modern network
  • It is easy to manage
  • Offer the opportunity for expansion
  • More scalable than a peer to peer network or ring network
  • Easy to add a new station
  • Easy to install and wiring
  • Low network traffic
  • Improve network performance
  • Easy to monitor and troubleshoot
  • Can accommodate different wiring
  • It is easy to modify and also have to add a new computer in a star network device
  • Less cabling is needed then mesh topology
  • During adding or deleting a node network can function normally act
  • Less expensive than mesh topology 
  • A centralized management system that makes use of switch, hub or central computer keeps watch on the network.
  • Easy to fault identification and to remove parts
  • Only one single computer failure does not necessarily bring down the whole star network
  • Installation and configuration are easy
  • It is robust in nature.
  • No disruption to the network when connecting or removing part
  • The star topology, troubleshooting and detecting failure is very easy
  • Provide for centralized monitoring and management of the network
  • The alternative is there to change the port
  • Most popular topology in use, a wide variety of equipment available 
  • If one node or link fails, it does not effect the reminder of the network.
Disadvantages of star topology :
  • It's created for a single point for failure
  • There is no route redundancy
  • It require more cable than linear bus.
  • Using a router or switch as the central network device within a star topology configuration is extremely costly.
  • If hub fails the whole system will fail
  • Cable installation more difficult
  • As the hub is the star main system, it needs greater resources and regular maintenance in the star topology.
  • The data transfer rate is very low in wireless star topology
  • Extra hardware required with add to cost.
  • The bandwidth of a star topology can be limited. This could provide an issue for network that need a lot of a bandwidth.
  • Another disadvantages of star topology is distance limit. The length of the cable used to link the device limits the distance that may be traveled between them and the hub or switch in the center.

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