Advantages of the Linear Topology

1. Short cable length and simple wiring layout. Because there is a single common data path connecting all nodes, the linear topology allows a very short cable length to be used. This decreases the installation cost, and also leads to a simple, easy to maintain wiring layout.
2.  Resilient Architecture. The LINEAR architecture has an inherent simplicity that makes it very reliable from a hardware point of view. There is a single cable through which all the data propogates and to which all nodes are connected.
3. Easy to extend. Additional nodes can be connected to an existing bus network at any point along its length. More extensive additions can be achieved by adding extra segments connected by a type of signal amplifier known as repeater.
Disadvantages of the Linear Topology
1. Fault diagnosis is difficult. Although simplicity of the bus topology means that there is very little to go wrong, fault detection is not a simple matter. Control of the network is not centralized in any particular node. This means that detection of a fault may have to be performed from many points in the network.
2.  Fault isolation is difficult. In the star topology, a defective node can easily be isolated from the network by removing its connection at the center. If a node is faulty on the bus, it must be rectified at the point where the node is connected to the network.
3.  Repeater configuration. When BUS type network has its backbone extended using repeaters1, reconfiguration may be necessary.
4.  Nodes must be intelligent. Each node on the network is directly connected to the central bus. This means that some way of deciding who can use the network at any given time must be performed in each node.