Ring+Network

In a ring network, every device has exactly two neighbours for communication purposes. All messages travel through a ring in the same direction. A failure in any cable or device breaks the loop and can take down the entire network. The ring topology may prove optimum when system requirements are modest and workstations are at scattered points. If the workstations are reasonably close to the vertices of a convex polygon the cost can be lower than that of any other topology when cable routes are chosen to minimize the total length of cable needed.


 * Advantages **
 * Very orderly network where every device has access to the token and the opportunity to transmit
 * Performs better than a bus topology under heavy network load
 * Does not require a central node to manage the connectivity between the computers
 * Disadvantages **
 * One malfunctioning workstation can create problems for the entire network
 * Moves, adds and changes of devices can affect the network
 * Communication delay is directly proportional to number of nodes in the network
 * Bandwidth is shared on all links between devices