Switch vs Router

[Mota331]

I know the difference between a HUB and a Switch but can someone tell me the difference between a Switch and a Router? I have a hub right now and that is limiting my speeds to 10MB and I was thinking about getting a switch so I can get 100MB speeds but I heard that if any part of the network doesn't support 100MB then it won't run at that speed. It will downgrade to the lowest speed. So if I was to get a Router would that accomodate all parts of the network and not slow down because of something that isn't 100MB compatable?

 

[JackMDS]

This will answer your question:

AT - FAQ . Basic Options for Internet Connection Sharing

AT - FAQ. Hubs, routers, switches, DSL, LANs, WANs...?

 

[rw120555]

As far as speed goes, I don't think the Hub/Switch/Router distinction is important. It is just a matter of the hardware being able to work at the right speed. For example, the description of my netgear fs105 switch says

"Automatic speed and full/half-duplex sensing. The switch supports n-way auto negotiation, and each port automatically senses and operates at the proper speed and duplex mode, taking the burden of configuration off the user."

Also, the Netgear DS104 Hub (which I don't have) says

"Auto-sensing dual-speed ports. One can connect 10 or 100 Mbps network devices to the hub. Each port individually senses and adjusts to run at the proper speed. Full connectivity among devices. Each unit has a built-in self-learning bridge which provides the communications link between the 10 and 100 Mbps network devices. The intelligent bridge automatically manages network traffic such that 100 Mbps traffic does not unnecessarily crowd the 10 Mbps network segment and 10 Mbps traffic does not crowd the 100 Mbps segment."

Maybe your current hub is only 10 mbps and you want something that is 10/100 mbps. Or, maybe you've misidentified the problem and it is the NICs in your machines that can only go 10mbps. I suspect if you just bought any relatively new piece of equipment, or maybe new NICs, you would see higher speeds (but read the product descriptions just to be safe). The decision between switch/router can be based on critieria besides speed. Indeed, as I understand it, what we tend to call a router is actually a router with a built-in switch

 

[MedicBob]

By router if you mean an ICS router, internet connection sharing router, all new ones have a 10/100 auto-sensing switch built in, such as linksys, netgear, etc. Any router, hub, switch you get or buy should have that information on it or in the manual.

I think that was what you were asking.

Also, as long as the switch, hub, router are auto sensing only the 10 MB NIC equiped machine will have slower speeds, the others, 100 MB, will connect at 100 MB to each other.


Bob

 

[Mota331]

Ok so everyone is saying is that a Router and a switch are practically the same, right? A router usually has a firewall built in and all other features but a switch is just to direct where packets should go and nothing more?

I have about 6 PCs all connected into a LAN with my own proxy server which also acts as a file, web, and ftp server. and then I have 1 PC that connects dirrectly to the net along with the server. All PCs have 10/100 but I have a 16port Netgear 10MB hub and a 4port Netgear 10MB hub. The hubs are slowing me down. I need more speed. Which is better. I don't need a firewall, I already have one that my ISP gave me.

 

[rw120555]

The simplest thing would be to buy new 10/100 switches and replace your current hubs. That leaves your existing system intact exactly as is but with faster equipment. I recommend switches rather than hubs because, even though they are a little more expensive, they probably provide at least some modest speed advantage.

You would get a router if you want to do some reconfiguring of your system. With a router, you would not need an always-on pc to act as your internet server for the rest of your network. Besides conveninience, it might or might not make your internet sharing go faster. You don't say how you are doing your internet sharing now -- are you just using ICS, or what? I found my internet sharing went much better once I switched to a router. But, if you are happy with your internet sharing now, you don't need to switch (even 10 mbps is much quicker than your isp provides you with).

The router isn't just firewall added (in fact it may not have one, although it has other security features) -- it is dhcp server & NAT, stuff that makes it possible to do internet sharing without using an always-on pc as your server.

So, if the speed problem you are referring to is slow file transfers between machines, then simply getting new switches will help a lot. If the speed problem is you think your internet is too slow, you may not even notice any difference with new switches. A router might help though, because it may be more efficient than your current software. Then again, you may need to get a faster ISP.

 

[Fatt]

Ok so everyone is saying is that a Router and a switch are practically the same, right?

No.


A router works at layer three and a switch works at layer two. (OSI Model)

A router works with packets and a switch works with frames.

A router uses Logical addresses (IP) to make packet forwarding decisions.

A switch uses Hardware addresses (MAC) to make frame forwarding decisions.

A switch can move data around within a network but if you want to send data outside of your network then you need a router.

 

[JackMDS]

Cisco sells DSL Modem with a Router in the same box (675). So I assume that we may say that a Router and a DSL Modem are the same?

Router is an appliance to connect between WANs. Switch is am appliance to connect LAN. It happened to be that the Hardware manufactures put them in the same box, but they are not the same.

 

[rw120555]

I'm not sure if this is totally right (I don't think it is as true for newer hubs), but based on this it sounds like an equipment upgrade could help a lot:

DSL Reports - What is the difference between a hub and a switch?

 

[Fatt]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
Cisco sells DSL Modem with a Router in the same box (675). So I assume that we may say that a Router and a DSL Modem are the same?

Router is an appliance to connect between WANs. Switch is am appliance to connect LAN. It happened to be that the Hardware manufactures put them in the same box, but they are not the same.

A router and a modem do two different things and are two different appliances.

A router also connects networks, of any size.

 

[JackMDS]

LOL, I have a lot of patience for this stuff, but this thread is starting to reduce the tolerance.

The original question is: I know the difference between a HUB and a Switch but can someone tell me the difference between a Switch and a Router?

And the answer is Entry Level Cable/DSL Router is a combo of few appliances.

It just has been put in the same box. Thus putting them in a box does not make them comparable just like Modem and Router in the same box are not comparable.

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Router is an appliance to connect between WANs. Switch is am appliance to connect LAN. It happened to be that the Hardware manufactures put them in the same box, but they are not the same.
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Originally posted by: Fatt
A router also connects networks, of any size

Networks connected is a WAN

 

[rw120555]

Cisco sells DSL Modem with a Router in the same box (675). So I assume that we may say that a Router and a DSL Modem are the same?

Glad you cleared that up Jack. Now, the 2wire 1000w has a modem and supports both hpna and wireless, so I guess that means that a modem, router, switch, hpna/ethernet bridge, and WAP are all pretty much the same thing, right?

 

[Mota331]

Well we kinda got off the orginal question so I will restate it and will provide a diagram of the topography of my LAN. Diagram. I don't know if the picture works, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.

I think someone answered one of my questions but I still have another. Say I had a NIC card in 1 PC that wasn't 10/100 and was only 10. And if I had another PC that had a 10/100 card in it. If I had a switch would it see that PC that had the 10/100 NIC card in it and run at 100MB or would it only run at 10MB because that is the slowest thing on the network? Did I explain that well?

And what is the difference between a Switch and a Dual speed HUB?

 

[Mota331]

Diagram

http://www.geocities.com/mota331/lan.jpg

 

[rw120555]

Ok, you've already got a router, so you don't want or need a 2nd one. I think your Qs about performance are already answered in the dsl reports link I gave earlier. Basically, replace your antiquated old hubs with nice new neat and shiny Netgear Fs105 switches or equivalent and you should see some nice performance gains. Replacing any slow NICs would be nice too but keeping them won't slow down the entire network; everything else will go as fast as it can.

Dual speed means 10/100; a dual speed switch or hub will be able to work with both your 10MB and 100MB devices, operating at whatever speed the device can handle.

 

[Mota331]

Ok well I'm going to be going out tonight to get it.

From what you said then, the difference between a Switch and a Dual Speed hub is that the Switch remembers MAC address and the Hub doesn't and does the dual-speed hub still share bandwidth?

 

[rw120555]

Both hubs and switches can be dual speed, i.e. both a dual speed hub and a dual speed switch can deal with devices that go at either 10 or 100 mb. So, the real question is, what is the difference between a switch and a hub? I'm not a good person to explain the technical differences, I'm pretty much content just knowing that a switch is usually better. For a more technical discussion, see the link Jackmds gave in his first post above, or see this thread.

 

[Fatt]

Originally posted by: JackMDS

Originally posted by: Fatt
A router also connects networks, of any size

Networks connected is a WAN

Well, I don't want to get involved in a battle of semantics, so I'm just going to say this and then I'm going to leave it alone.

A WAN is a collection of autonomous systems spread over a wide geography.

Merely linking two networks doesn't make a WAN. Many businesses run multiple networks withing their LAN

For example, a business like KPMG in North Jersey might have a LAN in each building consisting of multiple networks.
They collection of LANs across all their buildings would be a CAN (campus area network) and then the CAN would be connected to the NY/Metro WAN.

The only reason that language even matters here is because the acronyms LAN, CAN & WAN carry implications regarding size, physical topology, equipment, etc...

 

[Fatt]

Originally posted by: Fatt

Ok so everyone is saying is that a Router and a switch are practically the same, right?

No.


A router works at layer three and a switch works at layer two. (OSI Model)

A router works with packets and a switch works with frames.

A router uses Logical addresses (IP) to make packet forwarding decisions.

A switch uses Hardware addresses (MAC) to make frame forwarding decisions.

A switch can move data around within a network but if you want to send data outside of your network then you need a router.

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Just in case anyone missed the first time