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Differences Between Routers, Switches and Hubs

Routers differ from switches and hubs in that routers can forward network data more intelligently between multiple local and wide area networks, helping to connect home networks to the internet. Routers contain more logic than switches and hubs and can determine the source and destination network addresses to properly route packets. Routers also have additional features like integrated DHCP servers and network firewalls to further support internet connectivity and security.

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Pappu Khan
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86 views2 pages

Differences Between Routers, Switches and Hubs

Routers differ from switches and hubs in that routers can forward network data more intelligently between multiple local and wide area networks, helping to connect home networks to the internet. Routers contain more logic than switches and hubs and can determine the source and destination network addresses to properly route packets. Routers also have additional features like integrated DHCP servers and network firewalls to further support internet connectivity and security.

Uploaded by

Pappu Khan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as TXT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The n

Network routers, switches, and hubs are all standard components of wired Ethernet
networks. They may appear identical at first. Each

is a small plastic or metal box-shaped electronic device


allows computers to connect to it for the purpose of enabling communication among
them via Internet Protocol
features a number of physical ports on the front or back of the unit that provide
the connection points for these computers, a connection for electric power, and LED
lights to display device status

Other key characteristics of these devices are what sets them apart.

Routers Forward Network Data More Intelligently


While hubs, switches, and routers all share similar physical appearance, routers
differ substantially in their inner workings and contain significantly more logic.
Traditional routers are designed to join together multiple local area networks
(LANs) with a wide area network (WAN). Routers serve as intermediate destinations
for network traffic. They receive incoming network packets, look inside each packet
to identify the source and target network addresses, then forward these packets
where needed to ensure the data reaches its final destination. Neither switches nor
hubs can do these things.

Routers Help Connect Home Networks to the Internet


Routers for home networks (often called broadband routers) are designed
specifically to join the home network to the Internet for the purpose of Internet
connection sharing. In contrast, switches (and hubs) are not capable of joining
multiple networks or sharing an Internet connection. A network with only switches
and hubs must instead designate one computer as the gateway to the Internet, and
that device must possess two network adapters for sharing, one for the home facing
connection and one for the Internet-facing connection. With a router, all home
computers connect to the router as peers, and the router handles all such Internet
gateway functions.

Routers Are Smarter in Other Ways, Too


Additionally, broadband routers contain several features beyond those of
traditional routers such as integrated DHCP server and network firewall support.
Wireless broadband routers even incorporate a built-in Ethernet switch for
supporting wired computer connections (and enabling network expansion via
connecting additional switches if needed).

Switches vs. Hubs


Switches are higher-performance alternatives to hubs. Both pass data between
devices connected to them. Hubs do so by broadcasting the data to all other
connected devices, while switches first determine which device is the intended
recipient of the data and then send it to that one device directly via a so-called
"virtual circuit."

When four computers are connected to a hub, for example, and two of those computers
communicate with each other, hubs simply pass through all network traffic to each
of the four computers. Switches, on the other hand, are capable of determining the
destination of each individual traffic element (such as an Ethernet frame) and
selectively forwarding data to the one computer that actually needs it. This
behavior allows switches to generate less overall network traffic compared to hubs
- a big advantage on busy networks.

What About Wi-Fi Switches and Hubs?


Home Wi-Fi networks utilize routers but technically do not have the concept of a
wireless switch or hub. A wireless access point functions similarly (but not
identically) to a wired switch.

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