The Difference Between a Network Hub and a Network Switch

What is a Network Hub?

A hub in a computer network is a network device that operates on the physical layer of the OSI model and uses electronic rail signals for communication. It is a common connection point for different computers to create a network.

Types of Network Hubs

There are two types of network hubs.

• Active hubs: These hubs have their own power source and can clean, improve and repeat the signal in the network. You can use active hubs as repeaters or writing centers. With active hubs, you can also expand two or more nodes.
• Passive Hub: A separate power source is not required to operate this type of hub. It draws power from another active hub or wiring node. It relays the signal from the hub to the network without cleaning and amplification. However, it cannot be used as an extension of a node.

Features of a network hub

A hub has the following characteristics which make it a useful device in a network.

• Data can be broadcast and bandwidth shared.
• A hub has one broadcast domain and one collision domain.
• In the OSI model, hubs operate at the physical layer.
• Using a hub, it is not possible to create a virtual LAN.
• Hubs can transmit in half-duplex mode.
• Hub Spanning Tree Protocol cannot be used.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Hubs

advantage:

• Hubs provide shared internet scalability. A network can be expanded quickly using hubs with shared bandwidth.
• A hub can be used to monitor the network.
• The hub is simple and provides backward compatibility with legacy systems.
• Hubs can be used to extend the overall distance of a network.
• The hub isn't smart, but it is cheap.

shortcoming:

• You cannot get dedicated bandwidth by connecting to a hub.
• Hubs do not provide a mechanism for selecting the best path for data transmission.
• There is no way to differentiate between devices connected to the hub.
• A hub can only create a small network.
• Hubs are not capable of packet filtering. This means they cannot pass or block packets based on source and destination addresses.
• Hubs have very few ports, around 4-12.
• You cannot use a hub as a repeater.

What is a Network Switch?

A switch is a network device that establishes and terminates connections as needed. Switches operate at the data link layer, connecting various devices on a single computer network. In addition, they can route information to the appropriate device.

Types of Network Switches

• Manageable switches: These switches can be managed by setting up and configuring the IP address using the console port.
• Unmanaged switches: Unmanaged switches cannot be configured. Unable to assign an IP address to the switch.
• LAN switches: These switches allow connectivity to the enterprise's internal LAN and reduce bottlenecks.
• PoE Switches: These switches operate using Power over Ethernet technology. It can support power and data transmission over a single cable.

Features of switches

A switch is a data link device in the OSI model that operates at a fixed bandwidth. It has the following features.

• Maintains a MAC address table to identify devices connected to the switch
• Creating a Virtual LAN
• Working as a multi-port bridge
• With 24 to 48 ports, you can create extensive computer networks

Advantages and disadvantages of switches

advantage:

• Switches help reduce the size of the broadcast domain; this increases the efficiency of data transmission.
• By logically segmenting ports, switches can be used to build virtual LANs.
• The switch has a CAM table to store the MAC addresses of connected devices. So it can route data to the appropriate MAC address.
• The switch supports broadcast, unicast, or multicast.
• You can use a switch as a repeater.
• The number of ports on a switch is relatively large, about 24-48.
• Switches perform packet filtering.
• The switch allows full-duplex; this means it can handle a single signal from both directions simultaneously.

shortcoming:

• Broadcasts cannot be effectively restricted using switches.
• Communication between VLANs requires VLAN routing, which is not supported by switches.
• Using switches to handle multicast packets requires a lot of configuration and design.
• Systems connected to a hub are more difficult to hack than systems connected to a switch.
• Switches are expensive because they are intelligent and therefore complex.

Difference between Network Hub and Network Switch

The difference between a hub and a switch in a network is based on specific characteristics.

FAQ

Q: In what form does the hub transmit data?

A: Hubs transmit data in the form of binary electronic signals. When a hub receives a packet of data on one of its ports, it sends it to all other ports as an electrical signal. Switches, however, transmit data in the form of data frames. A switch can examine the data frame, find the MAC address, and send it to the appropriate device.

Q: Does the hub have an IP address?

A: No. A hub is not an intelligent device and does not have an IP address. Devices communicating through a hub cannot see the hub. Therefore, a hub cannot be assigned an IP address. A hub simply takes data from one port and sends it to all other ports via electrical signals. It cannot interpret the signals and cannot understand what it is sending. Without understanding the content of these signals, a device cannot have an IP address.

Question: Which layer of the OSI model does a switch belong to?

A: Switches belong to the Data Link layer of the OSI or Open Systems Interconnection model. They understand MAC addresses, so they don't have to operate on the physical layer like hubs. But switches don't understand IP addresses, so they can't be at the Network layer. Switches only care about MAC addresses and link data to the correct device.

Q: What is the difference between a switch and a router?

A: Routers connect various networks, while switches connect multiple devices in a network. They also operate on different OSI layers. Routers are network layer devices; switches in computer networks are data link layer network devices. In routers, the frequency of packet collisions is lower than in switches. In addition, routers are compatible with NAT, while switches are not. As the complexity of routers increases, routers are more expensive than switches.