What is a key advantage of a star topology?

• A. Simple and cheap
• B. High service quality
• C. Low maintenance
• D. Deployability: hours or mins

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how a topology affects how easy and cheap it is to set up a network. In a star topology, every device links directly to a central hub or switch with its own cable. That arrangement makes installation straightforward: you don’t have to worry about coordinating multiple devices over a shared medium, and you can lay out cables cleanly to the central point. Troubleshooting is easier too because a fault tends to be isolated to a single link or device, so you can test and replace just that one connection without reconfiguring the whole network. All of this tends to lower upfront setup effort and ongoing maintenance costs for small to moderate networks, which is why it’s considered a simple and cost-effective choice.

Other options might promise higher service quality or lower maintenance in different scenarios, but those gains usually rely on extra components or redundancy (for service quality) or complex backbones and shared channels (which can complicate maintenance). The deployability claim can vary with scale, but for many practical small deployments, the straightforward cabling and centralized management of a star layout are the strongest, most consistent reasons it’s seen as the simplest and most affordable option.