What the FLUFF is a Switching Hub??????? Switch or Hub??????

[Degenerate]

Yeah, what is it, any brand, how they work??

thanks

 

[bubba]

Some people call 10/100 autosensing hubs "switching hubs". Very poor choice of words.

 

[fergiboy]

How many machines are you looking to network?

 

[RBlount]

Quick Overview....

A Hub takes any networks packet that come in to it and repeat to all the ports. The hub does not care who the packet is address to.

A Switch (or Switching Hub) learns who is connected to each each of its ports. If the switch receives a packet destined for a computer who's port is known, the switch will only repeat the packet to the appropriate port. If the proper port is not know, the switch will just send the packet to every port.

-Rob

 

[shawnat]

Use a hub at home (cheaper) for a few computers.
Use a switch mainly for office with 10+ computers, printers, servers, etc.
Simply, a switch will route data more efficiently, and thus faster for large networks. You don't get data bottlenecks like you would with a "dumb hub." Safe bet is to use a switch.

 

[Buddha Bart]

great, conflicting answers.

bart

 

[spidey07]

My .02

The year is 2001. There is no need for shared media hubs in this day and age. With the prices of switches so low and performance so high the choice is obvious.

Use a 10/100 switch. Hubs became obsolete about 18 months ago.

spidey

Whoops, forgot to address orignal question. A switching hub is a marketing term only. Many manufacturers (shame on them for even using this combination) are confused. Sometimes switching hub means an auto sensing hub that operatates at either 10 megabits or 100 megabits per second. Other times it is a switch that may have four ports switched with four ports switched with four other ports, etc.