In a ring topology, each node is connected to two other nodes and creates a circular form of connection.
Traffic flow can be either unidirectional or bidirectional. There is an option for setting the flow of traffic either clockwise or anti-clockwise for unidirectional flow. Let’s say node 1 and node 4 want to share some data, and the traffic flow is set to unidirectional with a clockwise flow. Traffic from node 1 will travel through nodes 2, 3, and finally node 4. For the anticlockwise direction, traffic will flow from node 1 to node 6, node 5, and node 4.
Similar to the bus topology, only a single node can transmit the data. A token is assigned to each node, and it determines when the node can start transmitting the data.
Advatanges
- Easy to manage
- Performance is better than bus topology.
- Does not use a central device to manage connectivity.
- Easy to identify and isolate faults.
- Very orderly network where every device has access to the token and the opportunity to transmit
Disadvantages
- Bandwidth is shared.
- Failure of a node or cable can isolate the entire network.
- All nodes should be up to allow communication between nodes.
- Addition and removal of any node will impact the entire network.
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