Understanding Star Topology in Networking

The star topology is a network configuration where all nodes are connected to a central hub or switch, forming a tree-like structure. The central hub acts as a communication center point, allowing messages to be transmitted between devices. The advantages of the star topology include: isolation of devices, simplicity in establishment and troubleshooting, fault tolerance, scalability, and centralized management. However, it also has some limitations such as dependence on the central hub, potential for single points of failure, and requirement for more cable length, which can make it expensive to install.

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Star Topology
27th July 2019
What is Star Topology?
Star topology is also known as Star Network and it is most commonly used network setups.
In Star topology, each node gets connected with a central network device which is known as
a switch or a hub or computer. The central network device plays the role of a server. The
clients are the peripheral devices attached to the central hub. The type of network card used
in Star topology determines whether an RJ-45 network cable or coaxial cable would be used
for connecting computers altogether in a common network. Star topology or Star network is
network topology in which an individual piece of an entire network is connected to a central
hub or node or switch. The network plays a role which is quite an essential component which
is usually represented in a star-like formation which makes the network to be termed as Star
network or star topology. Star topology is either a passive or active network depending on the
regeneration of data amplification of the central node. It also depends on the active control of
the network on data transit. The network needs electrical power sources. Star topologies can
be implemented with wireless routers, Ethernet cable structures or any other components. In
the majority of the cases, the central hub or node is termed as the server and additional nodes
are called the clients. It is a topology for LAN or Local area network which helps the
connection between central connection point or a switch or a hub and individual node in a
network. A star-like formation results in which helps in assisting in case of cable failure. In a
star topology, more cables are needed than that of bus topology.
Star topology has a specialized advantage because in the case of a star topology if any table
fails only an individual node would be brought down keeping the entire network unaffected.
The traffic from the central component or the hub of the star or the nodes attached to the
central component can control the central site. The central hub is a self-contained computer
which is fast and responsible for routing traffic to the other nodes. One of the most important
benefits of a Star network or a star topology is that any kind of malfunctioning taking place in
one of the nodes does not impact the other parts of the network. But there can be certain
failure tissues and bottlenecks at the central site. Bus topology is attached or combined with a
star topology. In this case, the central sites get connected with the backbone of the bus and
the total combination is referred to as a tree. Star topology helps in managing the network

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centrally with the support of central computer switch or hub. It is very easy to add any
computer to the main network. If any computer working on the network fails to work, the
other parts of the network do not get negatively affected and continue to operate normally.
But it has been observed that a star topology is highly expensive and it requires used
investments in its implementation. On the other hand, it is expensive than using a router or a
switch as the central network site. The central network device in the case of a star topology
determines the entire performances of the nodes. It also determines the number of the nodes
the network can manage.
In the case of a Star network or star topology, if the central computer or the switch or hub
fails, the entire network can stop working and all the computers can get disconnected from
the main network. Star topology or Star Network can put a limit on the implications of a
single failure. In Star topology, a single unit can get isolated from the central hub. So, if any
component goes down the entire network will not get affected and only the local reach of that
particular unit will get affected. Star topology also provides the facilities of adding or
eliminating individual component either to the network or from the network for a common
reason. Star topology or a Star Network is the fundamental implementation of the spoke-hub
distribution paradigm taking place in computer networks. In this case, each host is attached to
a central site or hub a star network or topology. Star topology is a simple form where the
central hub plays the role of a central unit which conduits the transmission of messages. It is
one of the commonly found computer network topologies. In a star topology which is used in
a computer network. The host and the hub along with the transmission lines between them
develop a graph with a topology very much similar to a star. The data on a star topology
passes through the central hub before they continue to their destinations.
The tar topology controls and manages every function of the network. It acts as a repeater for
the flow of the data. The star topology decreases the implications of a failure in the
transmission line by enabling the independent connection between the hub and its hosts. Each
host is capable of communicating with the others by transmitting to the hub or receiving from
the hub. A failure in the transmission line which links the hub with the host can result in
isolation of the host from the other parts of the network. But the remaining network remains
unaffected. The star configuration is very often used with optical fiber cable or twisted pair
cable. Coaxial cable can also be used in the case of a star topology. One of the most effective
benefits is that the connection does not get broken down if any single node fails. This helps
the connection between the other computers to remain unaffected. The network does not need

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to be disturbed while adding for eliminating any device. The star topology works effectively
even with a huge load. In case of a large network, a star topology is highly beneficial. Star
topology can be expensive because of the length and number of cables which are needed to
wearing each host to get connected with the central hub. The central hub also sometimes
poses a serious threat to the network when any single point of failure takes place. In a star
topology, all the network nodes are connected to the central hub or computer individually
forming a network topology.
The computer or the hub of the central switch acts like a center point of communication
which helps in the passage of the messages the hosts are the various nodes which are present
in a star topology. The hub is the central point of communication which maintains the
passage of the messages from one end of the network to the other end. Each computer or
switch or host is connected to the central hub individually. The host can be considered as the
root of a tree and the peripheral hosts can be considered as the leaves of the same tree. In a
star topology, the nodes can communicate with the central hub by making the passage of the
message to the server which in turn forwards the message and circulates to different nodes.
This topology takes the form of a star-like figure. The computers are connected to a central
switch or hub which maintains a Content Addressable Memory table where the hardware is
used to address all the connected or attached devices. If a computer wants to communicate
with another computer by sending a data packet, then the first computer can forward the
message to the central hub or the switch from where the message gets transmitted to the
destination computer and the message gets forwarded.
Different types of topologies
There are different types of topologies which are to be understood to understand the working
of start topology and its structure. Extended star topology is another advanced network
topology where are a central device which is also used as a switch is located in the middle of
the entire network. In this case, the computers are connected to the ports of the central device,
unlike normal star topology. Computers along with other peripherals are attached to the hubs
or switches which forms the shape of a star and hence, it is known as an extended star
topology. We can also find a ring topology in which each station or computer is attached to
another station for computer and again comes back to the initial computer or station which
gives rise to a ring-like formation. In-ring topology, each computer is given the responsibility
of retransmitting the message for communication. The communication messages travel in a

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single direction and a circular formation. Therefore, terminators are not needed in the case of
ring topology. The terminators are not needed because of the circular formation of the
network. Bus topology is another structure where a single cable segment gets connected to
every computer or devices in a common straight line. The computers in a bus topology share
the common cable segment and there is a need for terminator. The signals are supposed to be
observed by the end of the bus so that the network can be made free for new and fresh
communications.
Bus topology is an inexpensive topology as compared to that of star topology. It does not
need huge investments in its installation but all the devices in a bus topology share the
common cable which makes the communication speed go lower. On the other hand, tree
topology is another extension which is comparatively less complex than a bus topology. In
the case of a tree topology the branching cable which is found without any closed loops play
the role of transmission media. The layout of a tree initiates at head end where a single or
multiple cables comments with or without branches. The branches can also have some more
additional branches which are helpful in complex layouts. One of the biggest disadvantages
of a tree topology is that if the main “backbone” cable of the bus topology breaks, the entire
network will be affected adversely. Mesh topology is another network where each device is
connected to each of the other devices in a specified network. The mesh topology is used in
connecting several local area networks or LANs to form a technology based on WAN. The
internet can be cited as one of the best examples of a mesh topology. In a mesh topology,
there are several devices which are attached forming different alternate routes to increase
fault tolerance. But troubleshooting and managing the architecture of mesh topology is quite
expensive please and difficult.
Advantages of Star Topology
Star topology has certain advantages for which it is commonly used with the help of star
topology the entire network remains unaffected when anyone cable goes down. In a star
topology or star network, there is a central switch which helps in locating and troubleshooting
any area with problems. Firstly, in the case of a star topology or star network, isolation of
devices has been one of the major advantages. In a star topology, there is a link which
isolates the devices and because of this isolation, the individual devices become quite
simplified. The isolation also helps in preventing non-centralised failure and negative impacts
on the network. Cable failure can isolate the entire workstation which is linked to the central

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computer but because of this isolation the particular workstation will get isolated and the
other workstations will retain their continuity and working. Secondly, star topology is quite
simple and easy to establish, understand, and navigate. It does not need any complex routing
or protocols for passing the messages. Thirdly, in the case of a star topology, if any particular
cable stops working, the entire network does not get negatively affected because there is a
separate connection between each device and the network. Therefore, if any particular cable
stops working the entire network does not get affected. In a star topology, where limited
numbers of devices are used the rate of data will be much higher and it is highly helpful in
passing the messages in a short distance. In a star topology, the analysts can recruit a new
device or computer to the network and the other nodes can be kept uninterrupted.
New nodes or devices can easily be added or removed from the main network but the other
nodes of the network do not get affected because of this addition or elimination centralization
is another important advantage which we can find in a star topology. Since all the computers
are linked to a central node in a star topology the issue of network failure gets simplified. All
the computers can communicate with the other parts of the network by transmitting and
receiving messages in a simplified manner. The centralization helps in overcoming the
bottlenecks of the network and enhancing the capacity of the hub or the additional devices of
the network. The network can easily scale up in a star topology. Troubleshooting also
becomes quite easier in the case of a star topology because the entire network depends on the
hub and if the network stops working, there can be issues with the hub. This feature eases in
troubleshooting by providing a single point for reconciliation of the error and the dependency
also becomes higher at that single point. Star topology helps in preventing unnecessary
passing of messages or data packet through the nodes. In a star topology, there can be two
links and three devices which are involved in communicating messages between two devices
of the topology. This increases overheads on the part of the central hub but the central hub
has ample capacity with a high network which is used by a single device not impacting the
other devices of the network. Data packets move quickly because they do not need to travel
through any unnecessary path. The fast-moving of messages or data packet or communication
of the data packet is another major advantage of star topology. Start topology can be installed
quite easily.

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Disadvantages of Star Topology
There are certain limitations of star topology. In a star topology, if the concentrator or the hub
of the network fails, the nodes attached to the same hub or concentrator also get disabled. It is
one of the primary disadvantages because the system is highly dependent on the working of
the central hub. Therefore, any individual link failure can not only result in isolation of the
single node but also makes the network inoperable and isolated from all other nodes. The
scalability and performance of a star topology depend highly on the capabilities of the central
hub. The number of connections limits the size of the network on which the performance of
the entire network depends. Theoretically, the system needs complex aspects in its
presentation. Another disadvantage of star topology is that if the central hub can become a
central point of unsuccessful performance. The entire network can stop working if the central
hub gets disabled or inoperable. The communication between the hub and the computers can
break down if the hub stops working. Another disadvantage is the requirement of more cable
length. In case of a star topology, it is highly expensive to bear the cost of huge cable
requirements and its installation is also quite expensive.

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