WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HUB, SWITCH AND ROUTER?

 


A hub operates at the physical layer (Layer 1) of the OSI model and is the simplest form of networking device that connects multiple devices in a network. When a packet arrives at a hub, it is broadcast to all devices connected to the hub, regardless of whether the destination device is the intended recipient, leading to network congestion and inefficient bandwidth usage. Hubs are considered obsolete and have largely been replaced by switches.

A switch operates at the data link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model and connects multiple devices in a network. Unlike a hub, a switch intelligently forwards packets only to the device for which the packet is intended, utilizing MAC addresses to make forwarding decisions. This reduces network congestion and improves bandwidth utilization. Switches are commonly used in Ethernet networks to create LANs (Local Area Networks).


A router operates at the network layer (Layer 3) of the OSI model and is used to connect multiple networks together, facilitating the routing of packets between them. Routers utilize routing tables and algorithms to determine the best path for forwarding packets based on destination IP addresses. They provide the functionality of directing traffic between different networks, such as between a local network and the internet. Additionally, routers often incorporate additional features such as NAT (Network Address Translation), firewall capabilities, and DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) services.

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