Network Devices

Hub

- Common connection point for devices in a network.

- Contains multiple ports.

- Hub handles the data in the form of frames.

- Frames carry the data.

- If the frame arrived at one port, it is copied to all other ports.

- It doesn't matter that the frame is only destinated for one port.

- Hub has no way of distinguishing which port a frame should be sent to.

- Leads to network traffic and poor response.

Switch

- Used to connect devices on computer network logically and electrically.

- Each network device connected to switch can be identified using MAC address.

- Recieves data in the form of packets, processes and farwards to destination device.

- Switch identifies the targeted machine using MAC address.

- Switches farward packets to only one or multiple devices that need to recieve it.

- Switch maintains the MAC addresses of every device.

- Due to this, switch is seen as more intelligent than hub.

Router

- Network device that farwards data packets along networks.

- Router is connected to atleast two networks.

2 LANs or 2 WANs (or)

A LAN and its ISP's network.

- Recieves webpage request from your computer and checks destination IP address against its routing table.

- It transmits the data packet to the next router, which repeats the same process.

- Maintains the routing table to farward packets to the best path.