Hub vs. Switch — What's the Difference?

A network hub is a device used to connect multiple Ethernet devices into a single network segment.

Switches operate at the data link layer, using MAC addresses to forward data to the correct port.

Hubs operate at the physical layer, transmitting data packets to all connected devices.

Managed switches allow for configuration and offer various features like VLANs.

A passive hub simply forwards data without any processing.

Unmanaged switches operate out of the box without configuration.

Boston, Massachusetts. Used with the.

Multi-layer switches can perform routing functions based on IP addresses.

The center part of a wheel, fan, or propeller.

In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of switch is an electromechanical device consisting of one or more sets of movable electrical contacts connected to external circuits.

A center of activity or interest; a focal point

A device for making and breaking the connection in an electric circuit

The central part, usually cylindrical, of a wheel; the nave.

An act of changing to or adopting one thing in place of another

A point where many routes meet and traffic is distributed, dispensed, or diverted.

A slender, flexible shoot cut from a tree.

A central facility providing a range of related services, such as a medical hub or an educational hub.

A set of points on a railway track.

(networking) A computer networking device connecting several Ethernet ports. See switch.

A tress of false or detached hair tied at one end, used in hairdressing to supplement natural hair.

(surveying) A stake with a nail in it, used to mark a temporary point.

Change the position, direction, or focus of

A male weasel; a buck; a dog; a jack.

Beat or flick with or as if with a switch.

(US) A rough protuberance or projecting obstruction.

An exchange or a swap, especially one done secretly.

(video games) An area in a video game from which individual levels are accessed.

A transference or shift, as of opinion or attention.

A goal or mark at which quoits, etc., are thrown.

A device used to break or open an electric circuit or to divert current from one conductor to another.

A hardened, engraved steel punch for impressing a device upon a die, used in coining, etc.

A device consisting of two sections of railroad track and accompanying apparatus used to transfer rolling stock from one track to another.

A screw hob.

A slender flexible rod, stick, or twig, especially one used for whipping.

A block for scotching a wheel.

The bushy tip of the tail of certain animals

The central part, usually cylindrical, of a wheel; the nave. See Illust. of Axle box.

A thick strand of real or synthetic hair used as part of a coiffure.

The hilt of a weapon.

A flailing or lashing, as with a slender rod

A rough protuberance or projecting obstruction; as, a hub in the road. [U.S.] See Hubby.

To exchange

A goal or mark at which quoits, etc., are cast.

To shift, transfer, or divert

A hardened, engraved steel punch for impressing a device upon a die, used in coining, etc.

To connect, disconnect, or divert (an electric current) by operating a switch.

A screw hob. See Hob, 3.

To cause (an electric current or appliance) to begin or cease operation

A block for scotching a wheel.

(Informal) To produce as if by operating a control. Often used with on

The central location within which activities tend to concentrate, or from which activities radiate outward; a focus of activity.

To move (rolling stock) from one track to another; shunt.

A large airport used as a central transfer station for an airline, permitting economic air transportation between remote locations by directing travellers through the hub, often changing planes at the hub, and thus keeping the seat occupancy rate on the airplanes high. The hub together with the feeder lines from remote locations constitute the so-called hub and spoke system of commercial air passenger transportation. A commercial airline may have more than one such hub.

To whip with a switch, especially in punishing a child.

The city of Boston, Massachusetts referred to locally by the nickname The Hub.

To jerk or swish abruptly or sharply

The central part of a car wheel (or fan or propeller etc) through which the shaft or axle passes

To make or undergo a shift or an exchange

A center of activity or interest or commerce or transportation; a focal point around which events revolve;

To swish sharply from side to side.

An active hub amplifies the electrical signal before transmitting it.

A device to turn electric current on and off or direct its flow.

Intelligent hubs manage data transmission and provide additional features like remote management.

A change or exchange.

A movable section of railroad track which allows the train to be directed down one of two destination tracks; (set of) points.

A slender woody plant stem used as a whip; a thin, flexible rod, associated with corporal punishment in the United States.

(musical instruments) rute.

(computer science) A command line notation allowing specification of optional behavior.

A programming construct that takes different actions depending on the value of an expression.

A networking device connecting multiple wires, allowing them to communicate simultaneously, when possible. Compare to the less efficient hub device that solely duplicates network packets to each wire.

(telecommunication) A system of specialized relays, computer hardware, or other equipment which allows the interconnection of a calling party's telephone line with any called party's line.

(genetics) A mechanism within DNA that activates or deactivates a gene.

(BDSM) One who is willing to take either a submissive or a dominant role in a sexual relationship.

(historical) A separate mass or tress of hair, or of some substance (such as jute) made to resemble hair, formerly worn on the head by women.

(card games) A variant of crazy eights where one card, such as an ace, reverses the direction of play.

(transitive) To exchange.

(transitive) To change (something) to the specified state using a switch.

To whip or hit with a switch.

(intransitive) To change places, tasks, etc.

To get angry suddenly; to quickly or unreasonably become enraged.

To swing or whisk.

To be swung or whisked.

To trim.

To turn from one railway track to another; to transfer by a switch; generally with off, from, etc.

(ecclesiastical) To shift to another circuit.

(snowboarding) Pertaining to riding with the front and back feet swapped round compared to one's normal position.

Pertaining to skiing backwards.

A small, flexible twig or rod.

A movable part of a rail; or of opposite rails, for transferring cars from one track to another.

A separate mass or trees of hair, or of some substance (at jute) made to resemble hair, worn on the head by women.

A device for shifting an electric current to another circuit, or for making and breaking a circuit.

To strike with a switch or small flexible rod; to whip.

To swing or whisk; as, to switch a cane.

To trim, as, a hedge.

To turn from one railway track to another; to transfer by a switch; - generally with off, from, etc.; as, to switch off a train; to switch a car from one track to another.

To shift to another circuit.

To walk with a jerk.

Control consisting of a mechanical or electrical or electronic device for making or breaking or changing the connections in a circuit

An event in which one thing is substituted for another;

Hairpiece consisting of a tress of false hair; used by women to give shape to a coiffure

Railroad track having two movable rails and necessary connections; used to turn a train from one track to another or to store rolling stock

A flexible implement used as an instrument of punishment

A basketball maneuver; two defensive players shift assignments so that each guards the player usually guarded by the other

The act of changing one thing or position for another;

Change over, change around, or switch over

Exchange or give (something) in exchange for

Lay aside, abandon, or leave for another;

Make a shift in or exchange of;

Cause to go on or to be engaged or set in operation;

Flog with or as if with a flexible rod

Reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action)

A network switch connects devices on a computer network by using packet switching to receive, process, and forward data.

Yes, a switch can replace a hub to improve network efficiency, security, and management.

A hub is a networking device used to connect multiple Ethernet devices into one network segment, broadcasting data to all connected devices.

Hubs can degrade network performance due to data collisions when many devices are connected.

A switch is a network device that connects devices and uses packet switching to efficiently forward data to the intended recipient.

Switches enhance security by directing data packets specifically to the intended devices, preventing unnecessary data exposure.

Switches manage traffic by allocating bandwidth to specific devices rather than broadcasting to all devices, minimizing collisions.

Advanced multi-layer switches can perform basic routing functions, making them more versatile.

An unmanaged switch does not require configuration and operates with default settings.

Hubs are generally simpler and less expensive than switches but offer limited functionality and lower performance.

Switches operate at the data link layer of the OSI model.

Hubs operate at the physical layer of the OSI model.

MAC addresses are used by switches to identify the correct recipient device for each data packet.

A managed switch allows network managers to configure settings to optimize performance and security.

Typically, switches are more expensive than hubs due to their advanced features and efficiency.

Network collisions can cause delays and data loss, affecting overall network performance.