switch, router, hub...difference

Morning_WoodMorning_Wood
edited July 2004 in Science & Tech
a router is a smart switch..right?

so I can come into my house with an aDSL router and hook an 8 port switch to the router.......then to my machines

but what's a hub?

Comments

  • stoopidstoopid Albany, NY New
    edited August 2003
    Well, actually it would go ADSL to router to switch. A hub is a non-switching device, more like a terminal for connecting the PCs, where the PCs can see each other but it doesn't aid in the communication between the devices connected to it. Routing is when you specify where incoming and outgoing data is sent. A switch moves that data for the router. If you have no router then your ISP/ADSL company does this for you, which actually slows things down as the data has to go all the way to them and back.

    http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/h/hub.html
  • EMTEMT Seattle, WA Icrontian
    edited August 2003
    Router: servers DHCP and runs NAT so you can run many computers from one real (Internet) IP address

    Hub: connects multiple devices together (computers, routers, other hubs)
    echoes every packet in any port to all other ports & each device decides whether the packet is for itself

    Switch: intelligently connects multiple devices together - information in from one port will go out on only one port, where it is being sent

    A switch thus provides more bandwidth when doing more than one transfer at the same time over the network. For example, with a hub 2 transfers (comp A to B, comp C to D) would each get half the bandwidth, say 50 megabits, or less. But on a switch A to B could take 100 megabits of bandwidth and so could C to D, at the same time.
  • tophericetopherice Oak Ridge, TN
    edited September 2003
    Switches and hubs are layer 2 devices and routers are layer 3 devices. Check out the Cisco Internetworking Technology Handbook http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/cisintwk/ito_doc/
  • verselloversello New
    edited September 2003
    Hubs don't use layer 2, unless you're talking about Intelligent hubs. They use layer 1, because they don't do any filtering ala switches do. Anyways, with all that technical BS aside, hubs come in two flavors: active or passive.

    - Active: Acts just like a repeater, re-creating data.
    - Passive: Doesn't re-create data... the dumbest of hubs.

    The prices between a hub and a switch aren't much different, but if you want to save a few $, a hub will do you good in a small home network.
  • ArmoArmo Mr. Nice Guy Is Dead,Only Aqua Remains Member
    edited September 2003
    hub are multi port repeatars, dumb switches, do no filtering
  • ArmoArmo Mr. Nice Guy Is Dead,Only Aqua Remains Member
    edited October 2003
    a router is not really a smart switch, its the only devise that can cut a collision domain, they connect internetworks and route based on IP addressing, switches connect directly to nodes, ( punchdown block too but thats given ) cannot cut collision domains and filter due to the mac address for each nodes nic card, routers meerly handel all the big traffic between internetworks, servers and main frames, a hub is the lowest devise on the network chain, it can do no filtering, no collision domain cutting, and shouldnt be used unless your in a small ( -10 ) computer network, a switch is a much better choice for any small network, but a router in a small network would be over kill
  • drowddrowd Texas
    edited October 2003
    routers are actually formed from ectoplasm and pixie dust. what you do, is you take a hub, and you dip it in liquified dragon scales, and that allows a paste to form, this paste will allow the machines to now have a direct connection with each other without echoing to other machines. next comes the ectoplasm and pixie dust, mix these components together in a beaker with a 2 to 1 ratio respectively. you should have sort of a pinkish colored goop. you next want to take this goop, and spread it out on a cookie sheet and bake it at 400 degrees for about an hour. what should be left is what looks like salt particles. take these and carefully sprinkle them into each port of your switch. and KAZAAM!!! DHCP, just how you like it . . .
  • stoopidstoopid Albany, NY New
    edited October 2003
    You'll have to excuse drowd, he just finished playing Everquest for the last 9 months 2 days and 13 hours straight :p
  • drowddrowd Texas
    edited October 2003
    *Drowd slashes at stoopid with his Lightning Frosted Executionor Bastard Sword of Doom and Chaos (Damage +168,000)
  • ArmoArmo Mr. Nice Guy Is Dead,Only Aqua Remains Member
    edited October 2003
    LIGHTNING BOLT, LIGHTNING BOLT, LIGHTNING BOLT! DEATH!!!1
  • stoopidstoopid Albany, NY New
    edited October 2003
    Originally posted by drowd
    *Drowd slashes at stoopid with his Lightning Frosted Executionor Bastard Sword of Doom and Chaos (Damage +168,000)

    *stoopid breaks out a can of Rigar Fungus and activates his enchanted wooly jackel knife's +infinity healing :rolleyes:

    Think this blocks the lightning bolts too, but you have to be level 66 to use it :p
  • drowddrowd Texas
    edited July 2004
    man, so i was checking quick links and "who's online" and one of the google spiders was caching this thread. so i went and reread it and man, it made me chuckle to myself all over again. i think i actually keekled out loud to myself. anyway, funny guy, that stoopid.

    cliffs: BUMP!1
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