Difference between Ring Topology and Mesh Topology

ComputersMCANetwork

What is Topology?

Network Topology is the way network links and nodes are connected with each other. The physical signal transmission medium is referred to as network topology. On the other hand, "logical network topology" refers to how the data flows through a network among the connected devices, regardless of their physical link.

In this article, we will compare and contrast the different features of two network topologies − Ring Topology and Mesh Topology. Read through this article to find out how Ring Topology differs from Mesh Topology.

What is Mesh Topology?

A mesh network is a sort of local network structure that is also known as a "mesh net". Infrastructure nodes work together to efficiently transfer data from/to clients by connecting directly, dynamically, and nonhierarchically to as many other nodes as feasible.

• Because there is no reliance on a single node, every node can participate in the information relay.

• Mesh networks may self-organize and arrange themselves in realtime, which cuts down the setup time.

• Self-configuration enables dynamic weight distribution, which is especially useful when a few nodes fail. As a result, fault tolerance improves, and maintenance costs decrease.

• In a fully connected mesh architecture, every device in the network has a point-to-point link with every other device. Each device in the network has precisely "(n- 1)" input-output ports and communication links if there are "n" devices.

• This is a basic linkage, meaning the data only flows in one direction. A duplex link can be used to replace two simplex links (which allows data to move in both directions simultaneously).

• If we use simplex links, the number of communication links for "n" devices will be n(n-1).If we employ duplex links, the number of communication links will be $\frac{\mathit{n}\mathrm{\left ( \mathit{n}-1 \right )}}{\mathrm{2}}$

What is Ring Topology?

A network configuration known as a ring topology is a network setup in which the devices are connected in a ring and pass data to or from one another based on their proximity in the ring structure. This type of architecture is more economical than bus topology and can handle larger loads.

• Because messages are transmitted to each device in the ring, a ring topology is also known as an "active topology."

• Different ring topology arrangements perform differently depending on which individual devices are being brought together to form a network.

• The ability of a ring topology to manage heavy network connections better than other arrangements and the fact that networks with a ring structure do not require a central hub to function are two of its advantages.

• This type of network also makes installation and troubleshooting very simple.

Difference between Ring Topology and Mesh Topology

The following table highlights the major differences between Ring Topology and Mesh Topology −

Key
Ring Topology
Mesh Topology
Each node is connected to its left node and right node.
Each node is connected to each other via dedicated links.
Cost
Ring topology is cheaper than Mesh Topology.
Mesh Topology is expensive considering more links as compared to Ring topology.
Nodes
For "N" nodes, "N" links are needed.
For "N" nodes, "N(N-1)/2" links are needed.
Information Routing
Data travels in a single direction from one node to another.
Data can travel from any node to any other node. Any node can communicate with any other node.
Extensibility
In Mesh topology, each node is connected to other nodes using its own dedicated link and information can travel from these links to any node. If there are "n" nodes, then $\frac{\mathit{n}\mathrm{\left ( \mathit{n}-1 \right )}}{\mathrm{2}}$ links are present.