In half-duplex mode, both the sender and receiver can transmit, however they can only do so one at a time.
Advantages
| Advantage | Description |
|---|---|
| Efficient use of channel | Allows for bi-directional communication over a single channel |
| Cost-Effective | If we only need one channel, hardware can be simplified |
| Simple Collision Handling | Since only one device can transmit at once, we do not have to worry about collisions |
| Suitable for periodic communication | Some setups (i.e. walkie-talkies) only require communication every now and then |
Disadvantages
| Advantage | Description |
|---|---|
| Slower transmissions | As data can only go one way at once, it is very difficult to create real-time communications |
| Poor in high traffic networks | In a congested network, the limitation of only one device transmitting becomes a bottleneck |