What Is an Ethernet Hub?
Setting up a home or office computer network can require several components for proper function correctly. One of the more commonly used of these components is the ethernet hub. But for those users who may not fully understand what it is or what purpose it serves within the network, here are the basics of both what an ethernet hub is and how it helps computers connect to a local network.
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Significance Within the Network
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An ethernet hub in a network is a device in which one or more computers can plug in to the network to access other computers and devices within the network (as well as the Internet, provided that the network features an Internet connection). Because most network routers have a limited number of slots for computers to plug in to, computers in a larger network may have difficulty connecting to the network at the same time as other computers. However, ethernet hubs increase the number of available ethernet ports on the network that a computer can plug in to.
Function
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An ethernet hub allows multiple computers to access a computer network from a single point. Instead of each computer requiring its own ethernet access to a network router, the hub becomes a go-between where computers can plug in without accessing the router directly. The hub also creates a sub-branch of the network, allowing easy access to other computers plugged into the ethernet hub (a function often utilized for LAN gaming).
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Features
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Ethernet hubs feature several ports; there may be four, eight, or sometimes twelve or more input ports on them. A single output port then allows the hub to be connected to a router, switch, or to another hub. Any signal sent to the input ports will be repeated to all of the other ports, allowing the sub-branch more immediate access to the signal than the rest of the network.
Types
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Three different types: passive hubs, active hubs and intelligent hubs. Passive ethernet hubs don't boost signals passed through them and, as a result, have no need of an external power source. Active hubs actually boost signals carried through them, allowing connections to be achieved over longer distances but requiring a power source to do so. Intelligent hubs boost signals as active hubs do, but also offer error detection for the data packets that they transfer, which prevents some of the data corruption that can occur within the hub.
Misconceptions
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Many people think that ethernet hubs are essentially the same thing as ethernet switches, but this is not the case. Hubs are much older examples of networking equipment and are prone to data corruption caused by signals being sent through the hub by different computers at the same time. Switches are able to avoid problems such as these because they are a more advanced networking technology. Whereas an ethernet hub will simply pass data through it in order to allow it access to the rest of the network, switches actively sort the data packets to get them to their destinations quickly and safely.
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