What are the differences between a hub and a switch
What are the differences between a hub and a switch
Difference between Hub and Switch
Hubs are basic network devices that operate at the Physical Layer and they do not perform packet filtering or addressing function; they send the data packets to all the connected devices. Switches, on the other hand, function at the Data Link Layer to connect several devices in a network. Switches are mostly utilized to transmit data packets between various network devices such as routers and servers.
Read through this article to find out more about hubs and switches and how they are different from each other.
What is a Switch?
A switch is essentially a piece of hardware or a device responsible for routing data from multiple input ports to a particular output port, sending the data to its final destination. As a result, it is mainly utilized to transmit data packets between various network devices such as routers and servers. It’s a data connection layer (layer 2 d) gadget.
Switches guarantee that the data packets being sent are correct and free of errors. To forward the data to the data link layer, a Switch uses the MAC address. A Switch is also known as a multiport bridge since it accepts data from several ports.
A switch has many ports, to which computers are plugged in. When a data frame arrives at any port of a network switch, it examines the destination address and sends the frame to the corresponding device(s). Thus, it supports both unicast and multicast communications.
A switch is a network device that allows electrical or optical signals to be forwarded. Any two network nodes that reach the Switch have their electrical signal channel. It includes several ports, which may be linked to a LAN or a high-performance server or workstation through a bridge function.
What is a Hub?
In the context of networking, a hub is a hardware device that transfers communication data. A hub transmits data packets (frames) to all devices on a network, regardless of whether the data packet contains any MAC addresses or not.
A hub has many ports and a computer which intends to be connected to the network is plugged into one of these ports. When a data frame arrives at a port, the hub broadcasts it to every other port, without considering whether it is destined for a particular destination or not. So, hubs can create network congestion.
A switch varies from a hub in that it keeps track of the MAC addresses of all connected devices. As a result, a switch can tell which device or system is plugged into which port. When a data packet is received, the switch understands exactly which port it should be sent to.
A 10/100 Mbps switch, unlike a hub, will distribute the full 10/100 Mbps to each of its ports, ensuring that users always have access to the maximum bandwidth – a significant benefit of a switch over a hub.
Network hubs, passive, intelligent, and switching hubs are all standard hubs used in networking.
Network Hubs − These are popular network device connection points that connect parts of a LAN (local area network) and may contain several ports – an interface for connecting network devices, including printers, storage devices, workstations, and servers. A data packet arriving at one Hub’s port may be replicated to other ports, allowing the data packet to be accessed by all network segments.
Passive Hubs − Passive Hubs act as conduits or channels for data to travel from one device or network segment.
Intelligent Hubs − Also called managed hubs, allow system administrators to monitor data flow and configure each port, allowing them to determine which devices or network segments are connected to each port. Some ports may be left open even if there is no connection.
Switching Hubs − These hubs are responsible for reading the properties of each data unit. After that, the data is transmitted to the proper or intended port.
Difference between Hub and Switch
The following table highlights the major differences between a Hub and a Switch −
| Key | Hub | Switch |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | The main objective of a Hub is to transmit the signal to a port, which will respond to where the signal was received. | A switch allows you to set up and terminate connections as needed. |
| Layer | Hubs operate at the Physical Layer. | Switches function at the Data Link Layer. |
| Transmission Type | Hubs use broadcast type transmission. | Switches use unicast, multicast as well as broadcast type transmission. |
| Ports | Hub can have maximum 4 ports. | Switch can have 24 to 28 ports. |
| Collision Domain | There is only one collision domain in a Hub. | In a Switch, each port has its own collision domain. |
| Packet Filtering | Hubs do not provide packet filtering. | Switches provide packet filtering. |
| Transmission Mode | Hub uses half duplex transmission mode. | Switch uses full duplex transmission mode. |
Conclusion
Both Hubs and Switches are network connecting devices. Hubs are basic networking devices that operate at the Physical Layer and they are used to send the data packets to all the connected devices, without any filtration.
A Switch keeps track of the MAC addresses of all connected devices and hence, it can tell which device or system is plugged into which port. When a data packet is received, the switch understands exactly which port it should be sent to.
Hub vs Switch: What’s the Difference?
Updated July 2, 2022
What is Hub?
A Hub is a networking device that allows you to connect multiple PCs to a single network. It is used to connect segments of a LAN. A hub stores various ports, so when a packet arrives at one port, it is copied to various other ports. Hub works as a common connection point for devices in a network.
Hub
In this difference tutorial, you will learn,
What is a Switch?
A network switch is a computer networking device that connects various devices together on a single computer network. It may also be used to route information in the form of electronic data sent over networks. Since the process of linking network segments is also called bridging, switches are usually referred to as bridging devices.
Switch
KEY DIFFERENCES
Types of HUB
Here are two types of Hub:
Types of Switch
Features of Hub
Here are important features of Hub:
Features of Switch
Here are important features of switch:
Hub vs. Switch
Here are the differences between Hub and Switch:
| Hub | Switch |
|---|---|
| A hub operates on the physical layer. | A switch operates on the data link layer. |
| Hubs perform frame flooding that can be unicast, multicast, or broadcast. | It performs broadcast, then the unicast and multicast as needed. |
| Just a singular domain of collision is present in a hub. | Varied ports have separate collision domains. |
| Transmission mode is Half-duplex | Transmission mode is Full duplex |
| Hubs operates as a Layer 1 devices per the OSI model. | Network switches help you to operate at Layer 2 of the OSI model. |
| To connect a network of personal computers should be joined through a central hub. | Allow connecting multiple devices and ports. |
| Uses electrical signal orbits | Uses frame & packet |
| Does not offer Spanning-Tree | Multiple Spanning-Tree is possible |
| Collisions occur mostly in setups using hubs. | No collisions occur in a full-duplex switch. |
| Hub is a passive device | A switch is an active device |
| A network hub can’t store MAC addresses. | Switches use CAM (Content Accessible Memory) that can be accessed by ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Chips). |
| Not an intelligent device | Intelligent device |
| Its speed is up to 10 Mbps | 10/100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps |
| Does not use software | Has software for administration |
Applications of Hubs
The important applications of networking hub are given below:
Applications of Switches
Some applications of switches are:
Advantages of HUB
Disadvantages of HUB
Advantages of Switch
Here are pros/benefits of using Switch
Disadvantages of Switch
Here are cons/drawbacks of using Switch:
Difference Between Hub and Switch
The Hub and Switch are the networking devices which appear to be similar and physically used as a star topology. However, there are several differences between Hub and switch. The prior difference is that logically the hub works like a bus where the same signal is transmitted to all the connections. On the other hand, the switch can provide the communication between any pair of ports. As a result, all the ports in the hub belong to the same collision domain while in switch the ports are operated on the separate collision domain.
Content: Hub Vs Switch
Comparison Chart
Definition of Hub
The hub is also called as the multiport repeater, which transmits the amplified signal to each port excluding the one from which the signal was received. A hub is used to link the networking devices physically for communication and successfully generate multiple hierarchies of stations. Hubs are unable to perform intelligent forwarding and process layer 2 and layer 3 information. It makes the decision on the basis of physical addressing instead of hardware and logical addressing. The hub cannot distinguish the type of the frame, that is the reason it forwards unicast, multicasts, and broadcasts to every other port except originating port.
The multiple LAN cables are connected to the hub with the help of the RJ45 connector. These LAN cables can be at maximum 100 meters long. To form a huge network of the enormous nodes the hub can be linked in a hierarchical manner. The hub behaves as a linking device which works in a half-duplex mode where either transmission and reception of the data by the host is permitted at a time.
Types of HUB
Active Hub: The active hub is one which provides the amplification and regeneration of the signals along with the connection.
Passive Hub: The passive hub works as a connector and connects multiple cables together, but there is no amplification and regeneration of the signal.
Definition of Switch
A switch is nothing but a bridge which provides more efficient bridging. In a broad way, a switch is a device which enables the connections to be established and terminated according to the need. It provides multiple functionalities such as filtering, flooding and transmission of the frames. It needs the destination address of the frames for its functioning which it learns from the source MAC address. Unlike a hub, the switch can work in full-duplex mode.
Each port has its separate collision domain, therefore the collisions produced in the switch much less than produced in the hub. Similar to the hub, switch also have one broadcast domain it can transmit both broadcast and multicast out each port except the originating port, which makes it unsuitable for a vast and scalable network. There is no mechanism provided by the layer 2 header to distinguish the different networks; however, it can differentiate distinct hosts. The Internet wouldn’t be able to work if only hardware addressing is provided. Think as a practical situation in which internet is working as a purely layer-2 switched environment then the switch has to forward broadcast out to every port in a collection of billions of devices and computers on the internet. It could result in the internet failure.
The hubs and switches are prone to switching loop, which can result in damaging broadcast domain. The switch employs Spanning Tree Protocol to make the surroundings loop free.
Types of frame forwarding methods
Store-and-Forward – In this technique the entire frame is stored in the memory then cyclic redundancy check is carried out, in order to check the integrity of the frame. The latency experienced in this technique is the highest.
Cut-Through (Real Time) – This technique forwards the packet to the output buffer as soon as the destination address is known. The latency produced in this method is the least. There is no error checking is performed.
Key Differences Between Hub and Switch
Conclusion
Hub and switch are networking devices which provide a mechanism to connect several devices in order to communicate with each other. However, the hub works on physical layer whereas switch operates on the data link layer. A switch overcomes the limitations of the hub and provides intelligent forwarding of the frame, hardware address learning and loop avoidance.
Difference Between Switch and Hub
July 8, 2011 Posted by Indika
Switch vs Hub
A network device that is used to connect network segments together is called a switch. Usually, switches are used at the data link layer (layer 2 of the OSI model) to process and route data. Multilayer switches are a type of switches that process data at the network layer (layer 3 of the OSI model) and above. Hub is also a device that is used to connect network devices (such as Ethernet devices) together to form a single network segment. It operates on the physical layer (layer 1 of the OSI model).
What is a Switch?
Switches are an important part of modern Ethernet Local Area Networks (LANs). While small LANs (small offices or home offices) use a single switch, large LANs contain several managed switches (managed switches provide methods such as command line interfaces for modifying the operations of the switch). Switches that operate on the data link layer allow the devices that are connected to its ports to communicate without any interference by creating separate collision domains for each port. For example, consider four computers (C1, C2, C3 and C4) connected using 4 ports in a switch. C1 and C2 can communicate with each other, while C3 and C4 are also communicating, without any interference. Switches can also operate on several layers (such as data link, network or transport) simultaneously. These switches are known as multilayer switches.
What is a Hub?
Hubs are also devices that are used to connect network devices together. It is a simple device that broadcasts the traffic coming in without any kind of management. It does not gather any information from the traffic flowing through it therefore do not know the source or the destination of the traffic. In a hub, traffic coming in to a port is sent out on all the other ports. Since the hubs pass the traffic to all the devices connected to its ports, unnecessary traffic may be sent to devices on the network. The devices themselves have to determine whether the packet is actually intended for it, by inspecting the address information on the packet. This repeating process could be a problem for a large network with lot of traffic flow, since it could cause lots of collisions. But, hubs can be used in small networks, where this repeating process could be managed.
What is the difference between Switch and Hub?
Even though both the switches and hubs could be used to interconnect network segments, there are some important differences. A hub is a simple device that sends all the traffic coming in to the hub in all the other ports. This could cause lots of unnecessary traffic flow in the network causing collisions. Switches on the other hand, collect some knowledge about the devices connecting to it and forwards the incoming traffic only through the relevant port(s). This would also allow maintaining simultaneous communications on the switch. Therefore hubs are suitable for small networks while, switches are more suitable for large networks with lots of traffic.
Hub vs. Switch
A Hub is a networking device that allows one to connect multiple PCs to a single network. Hubs may be based on Ethernet, Firewire, or USB connections. A switch is a control unit that turns the flow of electricity on or off in a circuit. It may also be used to route information patterns in streaming electronic data sent over networks. In the context of a network, a switch is a computer networking device that connects network segments.
Comparison chart
 | Hub | Switch |
|---|---|---|
| Layer | Physical layer. Hubs are classified as Layer 1 devices per the OSI model. | Data Link Layer. Network switches operate at Layer 2 of the OSI model. |
| Function | To connect a network of personal computers together, they can be joined through a central hub. | Allow connections to multiple devices, manage ports, manage VLAN security settings |
| Data Transmission form | Electrical signal or bits | Frame (L2 Switch) Frame & Packet (L3 switch) |
| Ports | 4/12 ports | Switch is multi port Bridge. 24/48 ports |
| Transmission Type | Hubs always perform frame flooding; may be unicast, multicast or broadcast | First broadcast; then unicast & multicast as needed. |
| Device Type | Passive Device (Without Software) | Active Device (With Software) & Networking device |
| Used in (LAN, MAN, WAN) | LAN | LAN |
| Table | A network hub cannot learn or store MAC address. | Switches use content accessible memory CAM table which is typically accessed by ASIC (Application Specific integrated chips). |
| Transmission Mode | Half duplex | Half/Full duplex |
| Broadcast Domain | Hub has one Broadcast Domain. | Switch has one broadcast domain [unless VLAN implemented] |
| Definition | An electronic device that connects many network device together so that devices can exchange data | A network switch is a computer networking device that is used to connect many devices together on a computer network. A switch is considered more advanced than a hub because a switch will on send msg to device that needs or request it |
| Speed | 10Mbps | 10/100 Mbps, 1 Gbps |
| Address used for data tramsmission | Uses MAC address | Uses MAC address |
| Necessary for Internet Connection? | No. | No |
| Device Category | non intelligent device | Intelligent Device |
| Manufacturers | Sun Systems, Oracle and Cisco | Cisco and D-link Juniper |
| Collisions | Collisions occur commonly in setups using hubs. | No collisions occur in a full-duplex switch. |
| Spanning-Tree | No Spanning-Tree | Many Spanning-tree Possible |
Differences in performance of hubs and switches
A switch is effectively a higher-performance alternative to a hub. People tend to benefit from a switch over a hub if their home network has four or more computers, or if they want to use their home network for applications that generate significant amounts of network traffic, like multiplayer games or heavy music file sharing. Technically speaking, hubs operate using a broadcast model and switches operate using a virtual circuit model. When four computers are connected to a hub, for example, and two of those computers communicate with each other, hubs simply pass through all network traffic to each of the four computers. Switches, on the other hand, are capable of determining the destination of each individual traffic element (such as an Ethernet frame) and selectively forwarding data to the one computer that actually needs it. By generating less network traffic in delivering messages, a switch performs better than a hub on busy networks.
In the following video, hubs, switches, and routers are compared.
Function of a switch vs. a hub
A switch is used to connect various network segments. A network switch is a small hardware device that joins multiple computers together within one local area network (LAN).
A Hub connects multiple Ethernet devices together, making them act as a single segment.
Connections to hubs and switches
Networking hubs are currently available with USB, Ethernet, Firewire, and Wireless connections. Most popular amongst them is still Ethernet, which requires a special networking card on the PC, or an Ethernet connection built into the motherboard. Switches are also available for networks in USB, Ethernet, Firewire, and Wireless, and simple switches like an on/off button can be applied to manage and maintain large computer networks. As with hubs, Ethernet implementations of network switches are the most common. Mainstream Ethernet network switches support either 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, or 10/100 Mbps Ethernet standards. On the other hand, hubs include a series of ports that each accept a network cable. Larger hubs contain eight, 12, 16, and even 24 ports.
Manufacturers of hubs and switches
Some of the leading manufacturers of computer hubs for networking are Sun Systems, Oracle, and Cisco. These companies also manufacture switches, such as LAN switches and data routers, as well as other hardware that is necessary for large-scale computer networks. For home or small business networks, there are a large number of international companies specializing in the production of switches and hubs, such as Belkin, Linksys, and Net Gear.