Daisy chain topology has limited scalability. As devices increase, signal degradation, latency, and fault risk rise. The linear design restricts performance in larger networks. While suitable for small installations, daisy chains become inefficient and unreliable in growing environments without advanced infrastructure or compensatory technologies.
1. Signal Degradation: Long chains result in weakened signal strength due to electrical resistance or interference. This leads to errors, disconnections, or data loss without amplifiers.
2. Latency Growth: Every device introduces delay when forwarding signals. More devices mean longer delays, making daisy chains poor choices for real-time applications like VoIP or video conferencing.
3. Limited Bandwidth: All devices share a single communication path, creating congestion as more nodes are added. This restricts throughput and causes data bottlenecks.
4. Interruptive Expansion: Adding new devices disrupts the chain. This contrasts with hub-based systems where expansion is plug-and-play. Daisy chains require rewiring or system downtime.
5. Practical Device Limit: Most implementations limit daisy chain length to under 10 devices due to performance risks. Beyond this, mesh or star topologies are more efficient and reliable.