Hubs VS Routers?

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geezer

1) In simple terms, what is the difference between a HUB and a ROUTER?

2) Are all ROUTERS 4-port, or do they come 2-port or even more than
4?

3) Can HUBS really be daisy-chained to as many as 200 ports?

4) Can ROUTERS be daisy-chained at all?

Thanks

Geezer
 
geezer said:
1) In simple terms, what is the difference between a HUB and a ROUTER?
Click to expand...

I stand to be corrected, but I think basically a hub is a dumb device that
connects a network together. All packets are sent to every machine on the
network and it is down to the individual devices to listen out for their own
packets. A router is an intelligent device that routes packets to the
correct device on the network, so the individual devices only their own
packets and don't have to filter out packets for every other networked
machine.
2) Are all ROUTERS 4-port, or do they come 2-port or even more than
4?
Click to expand...

Not sure, but I think you could get any number of ports - demand and supply
dictates that small routers in fancy plastic cases with 4 ports are more
mass-produced for home networks and large rack devices are produced for
industry!
3) Can HUBS really be daisy-chained to as many as 200 ports?
Click to expand...

They can be daisy-chained, but I don't know what the limit is on ports.
4) Can ROUTERS be daisy-chained at all?
Click to expand...

Pass!
 
geezer said:
1) In simple terms, what is the difference between a HUB and a ROUTER?

2) Are all ROUTERS 4-port, or do they come 2-port or even more than
4?

3) Can HUBS really be daisy-chained to as many as 200 ports?

4) Can ROUTERS be daisy-chained at all?

Thanks

Geezer
Click to expand...

Have a look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Router

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet_hub

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_switch

If I tried to write a lecture on this, my only
reward would be a stomping, so I'll stop right there :-)

Paul
 
To put in simple terms, you must first have a router if planning on using
broadband on multiple computers. The router determines what is coming in and
where it's going, thus the term router.

A hub, however, is like a busy intersection with no traffic lights: the
traffic goes wherever it wants to go with no control.



1) In simple terms, what is the difference between a HUB and a ROUTER?

2) Are all ROUTERS 4-port, or do they come 2-port or even more than
4?

3) Can HUBS really be daisy-chained to as many as 200 ports?

4) Can ROUTERS be daisy-chained at all?

Thanks

Geezer
 
1) In simple terms, what is the difference between a HUB and a ROUTER?
Click to expand...

A hub sends incoming traffic out on all ports.
A router segregates a LAN from a WAN.

They are only related in that they are often used in the
same lan but each for a different purpose. However, many
modern consumer-grade routers also have a switch built in,
and while that is very very common, it's not necessarily
inherant in a device being a 'router'. The switch
supercedes a hub as it can direct traffic to the appropriate
destination instead of repeating it on all outbound ports,
which would consumer more bandwidth- not a problem if you
had plenty of spare banddwidth but a problem if you didn't.
2) Are all ROUTERS 4-port, or do they come 2-port or even more than
4?
Click to expand...

No, old routers or corporate grade only have 1 port that
connects to the LAN, and 1 to the WAN. As for consumer
grade routers, 4 or 5 port switches integral are the most
common, because that happens to be what the typical core
(cost effective) chipsets used in them, support. When a
router has 8 port switch, it typically means doubling up on
some internal components to achieve this, which raises
costs. It also seems of limited benefit to a consumer lan
because most wouldn't have so many systems nearby, though
they could always add a hub or switch if they did.

I don't recall seeing any 2 port, but it's possible they
could only use 2 (LAN) ports. If you are considering
purchase of one, just look up the manufacturer's specs which
should clearly detail this feature.

3) Can HUBS really be daisy-chained to as many as 200 ports?
Click to expand...

Yes, but with that many (assuming you wanted to use a lot of
them) it would be prudent to use switches instead, at least
in the centers of star configuration networks to minimize
wasted bandwidth, keep traffic as isolated as economically
possible (thinking in terms of consumer grade equipment, as
products with over (roughly) 16 ports start to climb in
price quickly), even after 4 or 8 ports the price starts to
skyrocket.


4) Can ROUTERS be daisy-chained at all?
Click to expand...

Yes, you could link them as only switches (when they have a
switch built in as most modern consumer-grade do) without
any consideration that they're also routers (except to
disable certain router features that are redundant like DHCP
service) since you would then be ignoring that they're
routers too, OR you can further segregate sub-lans from WANs
containing other local (LANs) if you had a specific need to
do so, which then means using the router fuctionality of one
unit for each segregated LAN.

In other words, the typical way to configure these parts is
to first determine what the network needs are, define that
clearly then choose the parts and parts-configuration
necessary to accomdate.
 
Erick said:
To put in simple terms, you must first have a router if planning on using
broadband on multiple computers. The router determines what is coming in
and
where it's going, thus the term router.

A hub, however, is like a busy intersection with no traffic lights: the
traffic goes wherever it wants to go with no control.
Click to expand...

its even more of a mess with a hub. At the busy intersection with no lights,
when traffic comes along one road, it leaves down every road including the
one it came up!
 
I appreciate it.

Geezer

its even more of a mess with a hub. At the busy intersection with no lights,
when traffic comes along one road, it leaves down every road including the
one it came up!
Click to expand...
 
I intend to create a LAN for 5 computers and 2 laser printers. I have
a DSL modem and a 4-port router for the computers and a USB hub for
the printers.

Aside from setting up the computers for network sharing, what hardware
changes do I need?

Thanks

Geezer
 
geezer said:
I intend to create a LAN for 5 computers and 2 laser printers. I have
a DSL modem and a 4-port router for the computers and a USB hub for
the printers.

Aside from setting up the computers for network sharing, what hardware
changes do I need?

Thanks

Geezer
Click to expand...

Is the question you are asking, how do I connect 5 computers to a
4 port router ?

You could buy a larger router. A Linksys BEFSR81 is an 8 port
10/100 router for about $80 US.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ertycodevalue=1387:10157&bop=and&InnerCata=28

Paul
 
geezer said:
I intend to create a LAN for 5 computers and 2 laser printers. I have
a DSL modem and a 4-port router for the computers and a USB hub for
the printers.

Aside from setting up the computers for network sharing, what hardware
changes do I need?
Click to expand...
Either get an eight-port router, as Tom suggested, or add a four- or
eight-port "intelligent hub" (switch) to one of the ports of your existing
one. The latter has the advantage that it can be in a separate room where
some of the machines can be connected with short cables, and only one long
cable to the router. The router will handle any computer plugged into the
hub as if it were plugged directly into the router.

When counting ports, be sure to allow for the ports that are used by the
cable connecting the hubs/switches/router. Most "four port" boxes actually
have a fifth for input.

Either way, once you get it set up and running, you'll be able to almost
forget it's there.
 
I intend to create a LAN for 5 computers and 2 laser printers. I have
a DSL modem and a 4-port router for the computers and a USB hub for
the printers.

Aside from setting up the computers for network sharing, what hardware
changes do I need?
Click to expand...

Where you need the ports is a consideration for the network
topology. Unless your choice of router (with 4-port switch
in it) just happened to be in a good semi-central location,
it may be more difficult (or cost nearly same) to string
wires to all systems from this router, than to strategically
locate a hub or switch (or another router with
router-functions disabled so it only acts as a switch)
elswhere such that you only ran one cable towards a remote
area with this hub/switch, and then from that branched off
for the systems in that area. Only you can decide this, and
sometimes it means crawling around in the attic or looking
around the basement to decide what's feasible for stringing
cable.

The above is within the context that you need another port
anyway, having 5 systems but only 4 port router, so the
likely alternative is to use a hub if you happened upon one
cheaply, if for more normal (sale) prices just get a switch.

Considering that Gigabit ethernet also can use CAT5e (or
even CAT5 in a pinch) and that today's and ever-more newer
systems will be expected to have Gigiabit ethernet integral,
you might consider getting a Gigabit switch now even if you
don't need it "yet". It will work fine to have some Gigabit
and some 100Mb systems hooked up to it and with the
connections between two both with Gigabit, it will be at
Gigabit speeds. In this situation, you might even consider
a plan where all the systems are connected to the Gigabit
switch (which facilitates later upgrades to Gigabit capable
systems easier) and one port on the Gigabit switch is an
uplink to the router... so you have no systems connected to
the router at all, only the Gigabit switch connected to it.
Either that, or use the Gigabit switch as much as possible
within above context of what makes stringing cables easier
(if you hadn't strung them already), which might mean using
the router ports too for more than just the switch uplink.

Occasionally someone will argue that internet throughput
isn't enough to need Gigiabit, which is true, but your lan
can still use gigabit with just the internet operating over
a more cost-effective 100Mb capable router which you already
have.
 
kony said:
Where you need the ports is a consideration for the network
topology. Unless your choice of router (with 4-port switch
in it) just happened to be in a good semi-central location,
it may be more difficult (or cost nearly same) to string
wires to all systems from this router, than to strategically
locate a hub or switch (or another router with
router-functions disabled so it only acts as a switch)
elswhere such that you only ran one cable towards a remote
area with this hub/switch, and then from that branched off
for the systems in that area. Only you can decide this, and
sometimes it means crawling around in the attic or looking
around the basement to decide what's feasible for stringing
cable.

The above is within the context that you need another port
anyway, having 5 systems but only 4 port router, so the
likely alternative is to use a hub if you happened upon one
cheaply, if for more normal (sale) prices just get a switch.
Click to expand...
[snip good gigabit ideas]

Kony, I always like your answers, and I like this one too.

Just to note that the OP might have network-capable printers and thus 7
devices. My printer is connected to one computer and shared on the network
through that computer, but others connect them independently to the LAN.
The network the OP builds will need to take this into consideration, also.
If there are two laser printers, for instance, will they be in the same
room, or will each be in a room with a cluster of computers?

This idea adds to the suggestion of a switch -- ok, a gigabit switch --
plugged into one of the ports of the router and possibly cabled to another
location.
 
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