What Is A Tree Topology?

Date First Published: 24th May 2022

Topic: Computer Networking

Subtopic: Network Setups

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty Level: 7/10

Learn more about what a tree topology is in this article.

A tree topology, also known as a star bus topology is a type of network topology that combines the features of star and bus topologies. Nodes are arranged in a similar way to the branches of a tree, where the nodes act as the branches and the central cable acts as the trunk. Tree topologies consist of multiple star topologies connected to each other with a main cable, known as a backbone, bus, or trunk. They are often used in larger networks for organising the computers and can be used in WANs.

Note:

Each star network is a LAN that consists of a central connection point, such as a router, hub, or switch. The nodes are directly connected. In other words, a tree topology is a bus network of star networks.

Advantages and Disadvantages Of A Tree Topology

• The combination of the bus and star topology allows for the easy addition of nodes.
• It is easier to troubleshoot errors on the network as every branch can be separately assessed for issues.
• Since each node is separately connected to the central connection point, if one node goes down, it will have no effect on the rest of the network, like a star topology.
• This topology has increased scalability and flexibility.

• It completely relies on one central cable. If that breaks down or experiences a failure, it will cause all the star networks to be disconnected and no longer be able to communicate with each other.
• It is a complex type of topology. Adding more nodes to the network and configuring it is a time-consuming process.
• It is expensive due to the number of cables required to connect all the nodes.
• If the central hub, switch, or router goes down, one of the star networks will go down and cause the nodes to be disconnected. However, it will have no effect on the other star networks.