What is the difference between a hub, a router and a switch and do I need one for my network?
Hub A hub is a device used to connect computers. As devices go, it is fairly dumb in that it does not do anything to any of the packets going through it, it just sends them to all its ports. This can cause collisions of packets, which slows down the network. Hubs can only connect computers in the same subnet. In home networking terms, this means computers in the same physical location (house.) Since it is very low on the technology food chain, it is also the most inexpensive of the three connection devices. Switch A switch is a device also used to connect computers. It can be a fairly smart device. It learns which computer is sitting on which port and looks at all the packets as they are sent through. Since it knows who lives where, portwise, it only sends the packets to the specific computer they are meant for. This decreases packets colliding and some say they can see the increase in throughput. In home networking terms, switches can also only be used on the same subnet. Being more a
