Hub, Switch and Router: Definitions, Difference, and Conclusion

What is a Hub (Networking)?

The Hub on the computer network is used to connect multiple computers or segments of a LAN. Usually, it is used for the small home network from peer to peer. LAN Hub receives data packets (frames) through one port and transmits them over all other ports so that all other computers or other network devices can see all packets.

That is, a LAN configured with Ethernet Hub physically falls into the category of a star topology. Work as a central controller in the Star Topology Center. Logically, however, it belongs to the type of bus topology. The commercially available network hub typically has eight or sixteen ports. The network hub works in the physical layer of the OSI model. Traditional network hubs only support 10 Mbps nominal speeds (data rate or bandwidth), but the newer dual-speed hub technology supports 100 Mbps. There is no routing table in the hub as found in the router and switch.

Types of Hubs used in Networking

1.       Active Hubs
2.       Passive Hubs
3.       Switching Hubs or
4.       Intelligent Hubs

What is a Switch?

A switch is used to connect multiple computers. The switches manufactured for the consumer market are usually small, flat boxes with 4 to 8 Ethernet ports. These ports can connect to PCs, cable or DSL modems, and other switches.

High-end switches can have additional 50 ports and often installed in a rack.

Switches are more advanced than hubs and less potent than routers. Unlike hubs, switches can limit the traffic to and from any port so that each device connected to the switch has enough bandwidth. That's why you can think of a switch as an "intelligent centre". However, the switches do not provide the firewall and logging capabilities that the routers offer. Routers can often be configured using software (typically via a web interface), while switches only work the way they designed for the hardware.

The Tech term "switch" can also be used to refer to a small lever or knob on the computer hardware. And although it's not computer-related, Riding Switch means running backwards while skateboarding and snowboarding.

What is a Router?

A router is a hardware device for receiving, analysing, and moving incoming packets to a new network.

It can use to convert packets to another network interface, discard them, and perform other actions related to a network. The picture shows the Linksys BEFSR11 wireless router and is the look of many home routers.

The router is a network layer (layer 3) of the OSI reference model device. It means that you can connect multiple computer networks via wired or wireless connections. The network router can receive, analyse, and execute traffic direction functions and forward data packets from a system to its destination node. A router is a device that forwards packets between networks by processing the routing information contained in the packet.

Difference between a Hub, Switch & Router?

When connected through computers, network devices, or other networks, hubs, switches, and routers are the bridges through which a connection can make. All three types of devices can perform the same function, and technicians can sometimes use the terms interchangeably.

Hub vs. Switch

A hub operates in the physical layer (Layer 1) of the OSI model, while Switch operates in the data link layer (Layer 2). The switch is more efficient than the hub. A switch can connect several computers on a single LAN, and a hub connects only multiple Ethernet devices in a single segment. The switch is smarter than the hub to determine the destination of the forwarding data. Since the switch has higher performance, its cost is also more expensive.

Switch vs. Router

In the OSI model, the router operates at a higher level of the network layer (layer 3) than the switch. The router is very different from the switch because it forwards the packet to other networks. It is also smarter and more sophisticated than serving as an intermediate objective to connect several area networks. A switch is used only for a wired network. However, a router can also connect to the wireless network. With many more features, a router costs more than a switch.

Hub vs. Router

As mentioned earlier, a hub contains only the primary function of a switch. Therefore, the differences between the hub and the router are even higher. For example, the hub is a passive device without software, while the router is a network device, and the data transfer in the hub is in the form of electrical signals or bits, while in the way of packets in the router.

Conclusion

Although specialists sometimes use an alternative hub vs switch vs router to describe these devices, they still have their differences. Understanding their differences can be useful to find the most suitable tool for your network.

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