All are above medium are used to connect one computer with another with different sets of capabilities.

Let see how the working of these devices differ from each other:

Hubs

Hub basically a shared connection point for computers in a network enable computers in a network to communicate each other. A hub contains multiple Ethernet cable connection port to plug in the Ethernet cable. Hub can not recognize receiver address of a packet it receives, When a packet arrives to it, the packet transmit to all computer connected to hub. The packets received by intended receiver and discarded by other computer in a network. A hub can send or receive packets in network but it can not perform both the operation at the same time. Also the hub are cheaper then switches and router.

Summary

  • Hub can not recognize destination address of a packets, so it is slower because of packet unnecessarily send all computer in a network
  • Do not support concurrent send and receive operation
  • Cheaper then switches and routers
  • Work on broadcasting methodology, So lot of traffic on the network that can lead to poor network response times

f1-router-copy.jpg

Switches

Unlike the hub, Switch works in a different way. Switch can identify receiver address of information packet, so switch only send packet to identified computer. Switch can perform send and receive operation at the same time, so the response time is much better then hub. Switch filter packet by their destination address and forward them. It works on Data link layer and Network layer of OSI Reference model.

Summary

  • Identify packet receiver address and forward only to them
  • support concurrent send and receive operation
  • Costly then hub and cheaper then routers
  • Better network response time then hub
  • Works on Data link layer and Network layer of OSI model

Routers

Typically, A router is used to connect to at least two networks, commonly two LANs(Local Area Network) or WANs(Wide Area Networks) or a LAN and its ISPs(Internet Service Provider) network. Routers works completely different hub and switches. Hub or switch is concerned with transmitting packets, a router’s job is to route packets to other networks until that packet ultimately reaches its destination. Router ensure proper delivery of packet to intended destination.

Summary

  • Connect two network either LAN or WAN
  • It rout packet rather then transmit to computers link switch and hub
  • Ensure proper delivery of packet.
  • expensive than hubs and switches.

Written by Bala Krishna

Bala Krishna is web developer and occasional blogger from Bhopal, MP, India. He like to share idea, issue he face while working with the code.

This article has 4 comments

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  2. gurpreet kaur

    can u plz explain it diagramatically in an easy way???