Simple description  of the functions  and  uses of a hub, switch and router

• Hub
  • A Hub is a multi-port repeater. That means that data coming into one port is sent out of all other ports. This can result in congestion on the network as machines are swamped with data that id not for them, resulting in a slow down of network performance. A 100Mbps hub shares this with all machines, so each machine only gets a fraction of the speed.
• Switch
  • A switch keeps a database of each machine on the network and which port of the switch they are connected to. These collision domains are controlled by the switch, which then results in a reduction of the number of collisions increasing the overall speed of the network. A 100Mbps switch gives each machine 100Mbps.
• Router
  • A router is a device with two network cards that is responsible for routing data from one network to another. It does this by keeping track of IP addresses of computers on the networks and forwarding packets appropriately.

Remember the warriors of the net video is a good lead in, but look up the terms online.

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