Star and ring both are computer network topologies, The main key difference between star and ring topology is that star topology connects all devices to a central device forming a pathway similar to a like star while the ring topology connects every device to exactly two other devices forming a single continuous pathway similar to a like ring.
What is a star topology?
In star topology, the node is connected to the central hub or router. In which the information is travel from a central hub or router to all the nodes. There are n links in a star topology If there are n nodes.
What is ring topology?
In Ring topology, every node is connected to its left and right sides both nodes in which the information is travel from node to node in look like ring manner in one direction. There are also links in ring topology like star topology if there are n nodes present.
Difference between star and ring topology:
- In Star topology, the nodes are connected to the central hub or router while in a ring topology, every node is connected to its left and right side nodes.
- The cost of star topology is high, The cost of the ring topology is low.
- In star topology, the only hub is failure point, While in ring topology every node are failure point.
- There are n link in a star topology if there are n nodes, There are also n link in ring topology if there are n nodes present.
- A new cable is added to the central hub to add a new node, whereas to add a new in-ring topology, the connection must be broken.
- In star topology, the other devices are affected only when the connecting device goes down, While in a star topology, the addition and removal of new nodes are moderately difficult, In ring topology addition and removal of new nodes are difficult.
- Troubleshooting in the ring topology is quite simple as the information continues to transfer through the rest of the ring until reaching the point of failure
- In star topology the information is travelled from a central hub or router to all the nodes, In a ring topology, the information is travelled from node to node.
- The cables are required in star topology more than the ring topology, The cable is required in ring topology less than the star topology.
- In star topology, the information is travel from a central hub or router to all the nodes, In a ring topology, the information is travel from node to node in a ring manner in one direction.
- Star topology is very extensible and uses LAN, and Ringe topology is poorly extensible and can be used in WAN.
- Fault isolation is easier in a star topology, while it is quite difficult in a ring topology.
- Star topology is more expensive than ring topology.
- Star topology due to its simple structure is less compared as compared to ring, While ring topology has more complexity in nodes, arrangement ring topology is considered more complex.
Explored more information: