What is Tree Network Topology? Advantages and Disadvantages of Tree Network Topology by Anshul 2023

What is Tree Network Topology? Advantages and Disadvantages of Tree Network Topology by Anshul 2023

Tree Network Topology

Tree topology is the most popular of the network topology. Tree topology is a topology having a tree structure or a hierarchy-based network topology. As can be seen in the figure below, the network is divided into different hierarchical levels, and one element of the network is connected to other lower level positions.

Flexibility and scalability are the main advantages of this topology. Tree network topology is considered to be the simplest topology among all. Tree topology in computer networks is a combination of bus and star topology.

Advantages of Tree Topology

• Tree topology is best suited for large networks, it is a combination of bus and star topology.
• This topology provides a hierarchical as well as a central layout of node data.
• Leaf nodes can add any number of nodes to the hierarchical string, making this topology highly scalable.
• Other nodes in a network are not affected if one of their nodes is damaged or not working.
• Tree topology allows easy maintenance and easy fault identification.
• Point-to-point wiring for individual segments.
• Tree topology is reliable and highly secure.
• This allows more devices to be connected to a single central hub, thus reducing the distance that signals travel to reach devices.
• It also allows the network to separate and prioritize individual computers.
• We can add new devices to existing networks.
• Error detection and error correction is much easier in a tree topology.

Disadvantages of Tree Topology

• This network is very difficult to configure as compared to other network topologies.
• The length of a segment is limited and the extent of the segment depends on the type of cable used.
• As a result of the large number of nodes in a tree topology, the performance of the network slows down somewhat.
• Tree topology requires a large number of cables as compared to star and ring topologies.
• Since the data has to travel through the core wire, it generates heavy network traffic.
• If the central hub fails, the entire system fails.
• The cost is high because of the cabling.
• If new devices are added, it becomes difficult to reconfigure.
• The backbone appears as the point of failure of the entire network segment.
• Topology processing is quite complex, and the installation cost is high but it is easy to manage the network by defining access rights for each branch of the network.
• If a large number of nodes are added to this network, maintenance will become complex.