What is the primary difference between a Switch and a Hub?
A Hub re-transmits messages from a sending station to all other attached stations. During transmission, all other stations must listen and wait to transmit. This is referred to as a shared medium. A Switch applies intelligence to the connection process. When stations are attached, a switch learns each stations MAC address and associates it with the port to which it is attached. When a station transmits a message, the switch reads the MAC address for the destination station in the message. It then forwards the message to that station only. This approach allows multiple stations to communicate simultaneously.
