A ring network of a multicast label switch path scheme includes a plurality of nodes connected to form a ring. Further, a signal input to a first one of the nodes is branched to be transmitted in first and second different directions to a second and a third one of the nodes through a first working path and a second working path, respectively, in the ring network, the second one and the third one of the nodes defining end points of the first working path and the second working path, respectively, from the first one of the nodes, and a first backup path is set from the second one of the nodes to the first one of the nodes in the first direction, and a second back up path is set from the third one of the nodes to the first one of the nodes in the second direction.