What is a
Hub?
A hub functions as
the central connection point of a network. It joins together the workstations,
printers, and servers on a network, so they can communicate with each other.
Each hub has a number of ports that connect it to the other devices via a
network cable.
How does
a Hub work?
- A hub is an
inexpensive way to connect devices on a network. A data travel around a network
in ‘packets’ and a hub forward these data packets out to all the devices
connected to its ports.
-
As a hub distributes
packets to every device on the network, when a packet is destined for only one
device, every other device connected to the hub receives that packet.
- Because
all the devices connected to the hub are contending for transmission of data
the individual members of a shared network will only get a percentage of the
available network bandwidth. This process can slow down a busy network.
Hubs
classify as Layer 1 devices in the OSI model.
At the physical layer, hubs can support little in the way of sophisticated
networking. Hubs do not read any of the data passing through them and are not
aware of their source or destination. Essentially, a hub simply receives
incoming packets, possibly amplifies the
electrical signal, and broadcasts these packets out to all devices on the
network - including the one that originally sent the packet!
Technically
speaking, three different types of hubs exist:
- passive
- active
- intelligent
Passive
hubs do not amplify the electrical signal of incoming
packets before broadcasting them out to the network.
Active hubs, on the
other hand, do perform this amplification, as does a different type of
dedicated network device called a repeater.
Some people use the terms concentrator when referring to a passive hub
and multiport repeater when referring to an active hub.
Intelligent
hubs add extra features to an active hub that are of
particular importance to businesses. An intelligent hub typically is stackable
(built in such a way that multiple units can be placed one on top of the other
to conserve space). It also typically includes remote management capabilities
via SNMP and virtual
LAN (VLAN) support.