HUB:

A hub, also called a network hub, is a common connection

point for devices in a network. Hubs are devices
commonly used to connect segments of a LAN. The hub
contains multiple ports. When a packet arrives at one port,
it is copied to the other ports so that all segments of the
LAN can see all packets.
Function of HUB
Hubs serve as a central connection for all of your network
equipment and handles a data type known as frames.
Frames carry your data. When a frame is received, it is
amplified and then transmitted on to the port of the
destination PC.

In a hub, a frame is passed along or "broadcast" to every

one of its ports. It doesn't matter that the frame is only
destined for one port. The hub has no way of
distinguishing which port a frame should be sent to.
Passing it along to every port ensures that it will reach its
intended destination. This places a lot of traffic on the
network and can lead to poor network response times.
Compared to a standard switch, the hub is slower as it can
send or receive information just not at the same time, but
typically costs more than a hub.
Types of HUBS

Passive, Intelligent and Switching Hubs

A passive hub serves simply as a conduit for the data,

enabling it to go from one device (or segment) to another.

Intelligent hubs include additional features that enables

an administrator to monitor the traffic passing through the
hub and to configure each port in the hub. Intelligent hubs
are also called manageable hubs.

A third type of hub, called a switching hub, actually reads

the destination address of each packet and then forwards
the packet to the correct port.

Home and Small Business Hubs

Hubs can be used as a standalone device or connected to
compatible hubs and switches to form a larger network.
Hubs are generally easy to install and maintain, making
these devices a good option for home networking. A hub is
also easily configured for small business branch office
networking.
Switch
A network switch is a hardware device that channels
incoming data from multiple input ports to a specific output
port that will take it toward its intended destination. It is a
small device that transfers data packets between multiple
network devices such as computers, routers, servers or
other switches.

In a local area network (LAN) using Ethernet, a network

switch determines where to send each incoming message
frame by looking at the physical device address (also
known as the Media Access Control address or MAC
address). Switches maintain tables that match each MAC
address to the port which the MAC address is received

Working of SWITCH.

Switches, physical and virtual, comprise the vast majority

of network devices in modern data networks. They provide
the wired connections to desktop computers, wireless
access points, industrial machinery and some internet of
things devices such as card entry systems. They
interconnect the computers that host virtual machines in
data centers, as well as the dedicated physical servers,
and much of the storage infrastructure. They carry vast
amounts of traffic in telecommunications provider
networks.
 A network switch can be deployed in the following
ways:
 Edge, or access switches: These switches manage
traffic either coming into or exiting the network. Devices
like computers and access points connect to edge
switches.
 Aggregation, or distribution switches: These switches
are placed within an optional middle layer. Edge
switches connect into these and they can send traffic
from switch to switch or send it up to core switches.
 Core switches: These network switches comprise the
backbone of the network, connecting either aggregation
or edge switches, connecting user or device edge
networks to data center networks and, typically,
connecting enterprise LANs to the routers that connect
them to the internet.

Types of SWITCHES

There are several types of switches in networking in

addition to physical devices:

 Virtual switches are software-only switches

instantiated inside VM hosting environments.
 A routing switch connects LANs; in addition to doing
MAC-based Layer 2 switching it can also
perform routing functions at OSI Layer 3 (the network
layer) directing traffic based on the Internet Protocol (IP)
address in each packet.
 A managed switch which lets a user adjust each port
on the switch, allowing monitoring and configuration
changes.
 An unmanaged switch which allows Ethernet devices
to pass data automatically utilizing auto-negotiation
(which determines parameters such as the data rate).
The configuration is fixed and cannot be edited.
 Smart Switches, also called partially managed
switches, which can be configured to allow more control
over data transmissions but have more limitations
compared to managed switches.