Ring network topology

ring network topology 
Imagine a group of people standing in a circle, and each person is holding hands with the person on their left and the person on their right. This forms a ring, and information can travel in one direction around the circle. In a ring topology network, data packets travel in a similar way, passing from one device to the next until they reach their destination.

In a ring topology, devices are interconnected in a unidirectional or bidirectional closed-loop fashion. Data transmission occurs in a sequential manner, passing through each device until it reaches its destination or returns to the sender.

In Ring Topology…​

  • each device has a dedicated point-to-point connection with only the two devices on either side of it

  • signal is passed along the ring in one direction, from device to device, until it reaches its destination

  • each device in the ring incorporates a repeater

Advantages:

  1. Relatively easy to install and configure

  2. Simplified fault isolation

Disadvantages:

  1. A break in a ring (disabled station) can disable the entire network (solved by using dual ring)