What happens if the central hub in a star topology fails?

In a star topology, all nodes are connected to a central hub or switch that acts as a point of communication for the network. If the central hub fails, the communication pathways for all connected devices are disrupted. Since the hub serves as the main conduit through which data is transmitted to and from all nodes, a failure in the hub means that there is no longer a functioning central point to facilitate communication.

As a result, all connected nodes lose the ability to communicate with each other. This failure effectively brings the entire network down because each node relies on the hub to send and receive data. The implications of this are significant; it highlights the critical role that the central hub plays in maintaining the connectivity of the network. Thus, when the hub is compromised, the continuity of the network is directly affected, resulting in a complete loss of communication among all connected devices.