Updated March 27, 2023

Introduction to Star Bus Topology

Star Bus topology is one of the most general computer network topologies implemented in office and home. Making use of point to point connections, each computer here is linked to a central hub. It can be a computer server or a central point of the node that handles the network. It is a simple component that establishes the connections between multiple hardware components or computers or over the entire network if possible. The network can be altered according to the requirement and can be implemented in many ways. In this article, the working, importance, and application of the star bus topology are discussed briefly.

Why We Need Star Bus Topology?

If any node attack or malfunction of any cable or component, it is easy to eliminate the affected part without disturbing the entire network. so the communication between all the nodes is continued without making any delay in the production environment.
New components can be easily added and removed without altering the whole network topology.
The performance of the star bus topology is high even at times of heavy loads.
It is perfectly suitable for large area networks.

Working of Star Bus Topology

The star bus topology is an enactment of a spike-like hub distribution model in computer networks. In a star bus network, every single host is linked to a central medium called a hub, whereas it acts as the head of the network and manages all the connections established through the network and data flow between transmission and reception of the nodes connected in the network. It is one of the traditional methods implemented for the connections of multiple components. The transmission lines that connect between the host, leaf nodes and hub constitutes a graph similar to the star’s topology. The information on the star bus topology flows via the hub before it reaches its destination node. Hence, the central hub manages the traffic flow between the networks and controls all the network’s input and output data. The hub behaves as the repeater of the information passing through the network.

Generally, when the network is set up with two or more systems, the hub is placed. Because the direct linking of the two-component is not possible without the implementation of the hub, and if there is any requirement of a new component that can be directly connected to the hub of that network instead of making multiple connections in between the network. Now the hub manages all the data flow of the network along with the newly attached component. The hub is a reliable and robust component of the network, managing the entire network functions. So if the node or transmission line is failed or prone to any attacks, that part can be easily isolated without disturbing the rest of the network. Everyone prefers the star bus topology to implement in their workstations because of this unique property. But if the hub goes down, it shutdowns the entire network. So it should be handled and monitored seriously as it causes tedious problems.

The star bus topology’s transmission lines can be a twisted pair cable, coaxial cable or optical fiber cable. One end of the cable is connected to a local area network, whereas the other is connected to the hub. The hardware devices such as file server, back up servers, workstations and all the peripherals are connected to a hub. Because if there is an emergency need for one document and that concern system goes down, it is possible to access from the next system to retrieve that document via the hub. If any packets are received in the hub, it transmits the packet to all the hub’s connected nodes. But only a single node transmits the data at a time, and when any packet is transmitted from the hub, the designated node accepts it successfully without any loss or mismatch of data. The star bus topology servers more privacy and security than any other topologies.

Importance

If there is any cable failure in a star bus topology, it leads to a disconnection of a central hub and the workstation. Only the affected workstation is isolated, whereas the rest of the network performs its functions. They cannot interact with the affected workstation as it is separated. It can be easily navigated, understood, and simple to install at a minimum cost and provides a fast process as it is built with adaptive connectors and flexible cables. It can easily manage complex routing protocols as the network’s flexibility and the principle are reliable.

If any minimum number of components is connected in the star topology, the transmission of data rate is high, and it is highly suitable for a short distance. The star bus topology performance is high when the computers are located at scattered points as it is very easy to add or remove any component. The addition of a new device is a simple process by extending a transmission cable from the hub. If the user wants to add a printer, it is easily possible and the computer access the printer via hub without the need for direct connection or installation.

The central function’s maintenance is cost-effective, and the computers are placed close to the vertex, similar to the convex polygon, as there are modest system requirements. Because the failure of one computer doesn’t affect the entire communication process. As the hub is the bottleneck of the network, it can easily scale the network according to its capacity by maintaining the traffic flow, which is the apprehensive behavior of star bus topology. The entire network is reliable on a hub, making it simple to troubleshoot any problem of error connection at a single point.