The ring topology is a simple network that avoids data collisions by sending all data in the same direction.

Note: Nodes could be PCs, Printers, Servers or any other device that can be connected to a network.

Advantages

• Data collisions – no collisions as data travels in the same direction.
• Size – the network can be expanded with little impact on performance making it suitable for medium sized networks.
• Speed – speed is consistent as the network is not slowed down by collisions as data travels in only one direction.

Disadvantages

• Troubleshooting – similar to bus networks, it can be difficult to find where problems exist on the network.
• Reliability – if the main network cable goes down, the entire network goes down. Similarly, if any of the nodes fail, the ring will be broken and data cannot be transmitted.
• Adding Nodes – as the network is all connected in a ring, the network must be shut down to reconstruct it to add another node.