The Hub/ Switch

By: Karri RajaRam Mohan

What is a hub? What is a switch?
Switch is a small hardware device that joins
multiple computers together within one local
area network (LAN)
A Hub is used in a wired network to connect
Ethernet cables from a number of devices
together. The hub allows each device to talk to the
others.




Active Hubs
An active hubs works more than just a connector
but also regenerates the data bits to ensure the
signals are strong.
It provides an active participation in the network
aside from acting as an interface. It participates in
the data communication, such as storing signals
received through the input ports, before forwarding
them. It can monitor the data it is forwarding and
sometimes help improve signals before forwarding
them to other connections. Such a feature makes
troubleshooting network problems easier.

Intelligent hubs.
An intelligent hub can perform everything that the passive
hub and active hub do, and help manage network resources
effectively to ensure that the performance of the network is
highly efficient. An intelligent hub can also help in
troubleshooting by pinpointing the actual location of the
problem.
How the Hub works.

A computer's network interface card
sends out packets to the network. The
hub receives this information and
passes it through all the ports on the
hub that have attached cables. This
means that the computer that sent the
data also gets it back. The networking
protocols have ways of determining
which computer on the network needs
to process the information.


How the Switch works Pt. 1
Most common switches operate by learning
the MAC addresses of all connected clients,
servers, and peripherals, and associating
each address with one if it ports. When a
switch receives an incoming signal, it
creates a temporary circuit between the
sender and the receiver. The temporary
circuit provides two important benefits.
How the Switch works Pt. 2
First, the circuit allows the sender and
receiver momentarily to exchange
information without intrusion from other
devices. Each pair of communicating
devices utilizes the full bandwidth of the
network instead of sharing bandwidth, as
they do in unswitched Ethernet networks.
How the Switch works Pt. 3
Second, the circuit ensures that information
travels directly between the communicating
computers.
Major Manufacturers of Hubs
Syba, Zonet, Ppa Intl, Sabrent, Logitech,
GWC, iHome, Link Depot, CablesToGo,
Belkin.
Hubs can range from $7.99 to $54.99

Major Manufacturers of Switches
NETGEAR, D-Link, SMC.

Switches can range from $19.99 to $159.99
History of the Switch
On August 29, 1969 the first network
switch and the first piece of network
equipment (called "IMP", which is short for
Interface Message Processor) is sent to
UCLA.
On September 2, 1969 the first data moves
from UCLA host to the IMP switch.


History of the Hub
1994 - The system was completed in 1994. It
introduced an on-line remote access facility to
four government departments, allowing users to
display and print maps at remote locations using
personal computers. The Hub's major users
include land master planning by the Urban
Redevelopment Authority, planning of Mass
Rapid Transit (MRT) lines by the MRT
Corporation, and the compilation and analysis of
state land ownership statistics by the Ministry of
Law's Land Office

Hub History Pt. 2
Oct 26, 1998 - Software developer Dawn
DeBruyn sells a product that turns a single
personal computer into a hub for the
whole family.

Difference Between a Hub and a
Switch
The hub is basically the least expensive and
the least intelligent. Basically, anything that
comes to one port is sent out to the others.

A switch does what a hub does, but way
better. By paying attention to the traffic and
other things that come along, it can learn
and study where the addresses are.
Sources
www.answers.com
http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_i
d/233
http://www2.edc.org/cope/networkprimer/pr
imch5.pdf
www.newegg.com