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Differentiate between a hub, switch, and router.

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Hubs, switches, and routers are networking devices that play distinct roles in the communication and management of data within a network.

Let's delve into the technical details of each:

  1. Hub:
    • Function: A hub operates at the Physical Layer (Layer 1) of the OSI model. It is a simple networking device that connects multiple devices in a network, allowing them to communicate.
    • Operation: When a hub receives data on one port, it broadcasts that data to all other ports, regardless of the intended recipient. Hubs do not make any decisions based on the destination address; they lack intelligence and operate as multi-port repeaters.
    • Collision Domain: Hubs create a single collision domain, which means that if two devices try to transmit data simultaneously, a collision can occur. This can lead to performance degradation in the network.
  2. Switch:
    • Function: A switch operates at the Data Link Layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model. It is more intelligent than a hub and is designed to improve network efficiency.
    • Operation: Unlike hubs, switches are capable of learning the MAC addresses of connected devices. When a switch receives data, it examines the destination MAC address and forwards the data only to the port where the destination device is connected. This reduces unnecessary traffic on the network.
    • Collision Domain: Switches create separate collision domains for each port, reducing the likelihood of collisions and improving overall network performance.
    • Managed Switches: Some switches are managed and allow for additional features such as VLANs, QoS, and port mirroring.
  3. Router:
    • Function: A router operates at the Network Layer (Layer 3) of the OSI model. It connects different networks and facilitates communication between them.
    • Operation: Routers use logical addressing (IP addresses) to determine the best path for forwarding data between networks. They make decisions based on network addresses and can connect networks with different protocols or addressing schemes.
    • IP Routing: Routers maintain routing tables, which contain information about the best paths to reach specific destinations. They use algorithms to determine the optimal route for data transmission.
    • NAT (Network Address Translation): Routers often perform NAT, allowing multiple devices in a local network to share a single public IP address, thereby providing a level of security and conserving public IP addresses.