the essentials in brief
LAN Hub: What is there?
A primary distinction is made between species like active and passive hubs. There are also smart home hubs (intelligent hubs). For example, you can have an Alexa hub. You can find out what a hub is here.
Hub usage: Why aren't they being used anymore?
LAN hubs offer certain Advantages and disadvantages. Due to the relatively uneven distribution of data, they are nowadays used less often.
Difference repeater and hub: what is different?
Although they work in a similar way, hub and repeater are not the same. You can see the differences here.
A LAN hub may be just what you need if you have multiple devices, such as a laptop, TV, and printer, and want to connect them to a single network. What is it? How to use a LAN hub? What types are there? How is a hub different from other devices such as a repeater?
What is a LAN hub?
A LAN hub is a device that is used by several Desktop or other network devices on a local network (short for Local Aarea Nnetwork) to connect with each other. Therefore, it can also be called a network hub.
Mainly it will used in smaller networks with few devices and has multiple ports, which can be used to connect the corresponding devices. These include, for example Desktops or TVs.
Tip: An important tip for managing LAN hubs is to regularly monitor and scan network traffic. This helps to identify and eliminate possible problems or malfunctions at an early stage. For example, you can use network tools like traffic monitoring and network log analysis to monitor and examine traffic.
Types of LAN hubs
There are different types of LAN hubs, mainly differentiated by their size and performance. For example, there are network hubs for desktops.
What is important in this context is that a distinction is made between active and passive LAN hubs.
- As the name suggests, active network hubs are Devices that received Signal enlarge – both in the signal strength and in its distribution. This ensures data gets to its destination and is particularly useful on large networks with many connected devices.
- Face it passive LAN hubs that are only responsible for distributing the received signal are. They are less expensive than active hubs, but are also less powerful.
Note: One also speaks of "intelligent hubs", which can be used in a smart home, for example. Intelligent hubs or smart home hubs offer additional functions such as network management and monitoring. These hubs allow network administrators to monitor and manage the network using the hub to identify and troubleshoot problems. For example, they can also be connected to Alexa (as a kind of Alexa hub).
Function of a LAN hub
A network hub will work similar to a distributor in the power grid: It accepts an input signal and forwards it to all connected devices (whether computers or Ethernet-enabled devices).
When a device wants to send something, it sends a signal to the hub, and the hub relays the signal to all other devices on the hub's network. This way you can all devices in the LAN communicate with each other and exchange data.
A LAN hub functions in this sense on the first OSI layer of the OSI layer model and in principle does the same as, for example, a Repeater.
Tip: If you want to build a larger network, you can connect multiple hubs together. This way you can create a network in the hub that spans multiple rooms or floors.
Digression: hub, switch, router and repeater
Hubs and switches are not the same, although their function is similar.
This means: switches are similar in structure to hubs, but they are comparatively more powerful and better able to manage traffic, as they only forward the data to selected devices only. Although they are usually a bit more expensive, they are characterized by high network performance.
The difference between a Hub and a Router is that a hub merely forwards data within a network while a router transfers data between different networks.
And: A hub and a Repeater are both devices used to extend a local area network (LAN). The Main difference between the two devices is how they forward data.
Because: one Repeater repeats the received signal and amplifies it, to allow a longer range of the network. When a device sends data, the repeater receives it, amplifies it, and retransmits it to increase the network's range. Since the repeater amplifies the signal but does not pass it on, the network load is lower than with a hub.
Overview
- A pair of Hub is a network device that Sends data to all connected devices. It is a simple device used to build a local area network (LAN).
- A pair of Switch is a network device that forwards data to the device to which it is intended. Unlike a hub, which routes data to all connected devices, a switch uses an address distribution table to send data only to the device that needs it. This means that switches can reduce network load and provide higher transfer speeds.
- A pair of Router is a device that transfers data between different networks. It can act as a switch between different networks by forwarding data packets from one network to another.
- A pair of Repeater is a network device that amplifies and retransmits the received signal, to increase the range of a network. A repeater does not use an address distribution table like a switch, but simply repeats the received signal.
data transfer speeds
The data transmission speed of hubs, switches, routers and repeaters depends on various factors, such as the type of network connection, the supported standards and protocols and the number of connected devices.
- Hubs are typically limited to 10 or 100 megabits per second (Mbps), meaning the maximum transfer speed is 10 or 100 Mbps.
- Most switches support 10/100 Mbps or 1 gigabit per second (Gbps). A gigabit switch enables a transmission speed of up to 1 Gbps.
- A large number of routers support a transmission speed of 10/100 Mbps or 1 Gbps.
- The transmission speed of repeaters depends on the quality of the existing signal. It is common for most repeaters to support the same speed as the underlying access point.
Advantages and disadvantages of LAN hubs
Advantages of LAN hubs:
- Easy configuration: Hubs are easy to set up and use. All you have to do is connect all devices via Ethernet cables and you have a simple local network.
- Cost effective: Hubs are typically less expensive than switches or routers, making them a cost-effective option for small networks.
- expandability: Hubs can be easily expanded by adding more hubs to expand the network.
Disadvantages of LAN hubs:
- bad Performance: Hubs forward data to all connected devices, regardless of whether they need the data or not. This leads to an increased network load and slows down the transmission speed.
- No address distribution: Hubs have no way of sending data to a specific device. This means that every device on a hub gets the same amount of data, whether it needs the data or not.
- No network security: Hubs offer no way to protect the network from attacks or data loss.
Are hubs still used today?
Hubs are not used as often today because they no longer meet the requirements of modern networks. Hubs are simple devices that route data to all connected devices. This means that every device on a hub gets the same amount of data, whether it needs the data or not. This leads to a increased network load and slows down the transmission speed.
Because of this, today switches preferred, which offer a smarter distribution of data. Switches use an address distribution table to send data only to the device that needs it. This means that switches use the Reduce network load and offer higher transfer speeds can.
Everything you need to know about the LAN Hub at a glance
A network hub operates on the selected local network. It occupies several ports, which means it can be used in a variety of ways, for example for TV and Co. It is used as a distribution or amplification module for the data within the respective home network. A distinction is made between active and passive LAN hubs.
FAQ about LAN hubs
A LAN hub distributes/amplifies the signal in a local area network.
A LAN hub is used when you want to feed all devices connected to the network with the appropriate signals and data at the same time. This puts a relatively heavy load on the LAN. In contrast to a network hub, a LAN switch only feeds selected devices in the network with the relevant data. Therefore, with a switch, the load on the entire network is not that great.
A LAN switch also acts as a signal booster within a network.