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A hub repeats every incoming signal to all of its other ports, so every connected device shares the same segment. A switch reads each Ethernet frame, learns which device sits behind which port, and sends known traffic only toward the port that leads to its destination. For adding wired connections on an ordinary network today, a switch is the standard choice, and a hub is a legacy device.
What happens to a frame in a hub
A hub is a multiport repeater. It works at the physical layer (Layer 1 of the OSI model), which means it deals with the electrical or optical signal itself rather than with addresses. When a frame arrives on one port, the hub copies the signal out of every other port. It does not check the destination MAC address to decide where the frame should go.
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The consequence is that all devices attached to a hub share one segment. Each device receives the traffic meant for its neighbors and has to ignore whatever is not addressed to it. Traffic is therefore visible across every connected port, and the bandwidth of the segment is divided among everyone using it. Cisco’s technical documentation on LAN switching puts it directly: a hub allows multiple devices to be connected to the same network segment, and the attached devices share the bandwidth.
What happens to a frame in a switch
A basic Ethernet switch operates at the data-link layer (Layer 2). It reads the MAC addresses in each frame, which is what allows it to decide where a frame belongs. The decision process has three parts.
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Step 1: Learning source addresses
The switch keeps a MAC address table that maps each MAC address to the port it was last seen on. Every time a frame arrives, the switch notes the source MAC address and the port it came in on. Over time, the table fills with the devices connected to each port.
Step 2: Forwarding known unicast traffic
When a frame has a destination MAC address that is already in the table, the switch forwards it out only the associated port. Other ports do not receive a copy. This is the main difference from a hub, and it is why traffic between two devices does not have to be repeated to every other device on the switch.
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Step 3: Flooding and broadcasts
The switch is not limited to single-port delivery in every case. If the destination MAC address is unknown, the switch floods the frame out its other ports so that the destination can respond and be learned. Broadcast frames are also delivered to devices in the same broadcast domain, which is the VLAN in a segmented network. The statement that a switch never broadcasts is therefore wrong. A switch limits broadcast and flooded traffic to the relevant domain, but it does not eliminate it.
What a switch changes about bandwidth and visibility
On a hub, the devices share one segment’s bandwidth. On a switch, each port provides its own link, so a device is not competing with every other device for a single shared channel. Cisco illustrates the difference with a legacy example: six devices on six different ports of a 10 Mb switch each have 10 Mb to work with, while the same six devices on a 10 Mb hub share that 10 Mb. This is an illustration of the design difference, not a current speed benchmark.
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Real throughput still depends on the speed of each port, the traffic load, and the rest of the network. A switch with fast ports can still be slowed by a congested uplink, a slow device, or a flood of broadcast traffic. The advantage is that the switch removes the forced sharing of a single segment, not that it guarantees a particular speed.
Visibility changes in the same way. Traffic on a hub is repeated to every port, so any attached device can see traffic between other devices. On a switch, known unicast traffic is directed to the port that needs it, so ordinary conversations are not copied everywhere. Unknown and broadcast traffic can still reach multiple ports.
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Hub and switch compared
| Comparison point | Hub | Switch |
|---|---|---|
| OSI layer | Layer 1, physical repeater | Basic switch: Layer 2, frame forwarding |
| How it forwards | Copies the signal to all other ports | Learns MAC addresses and sends known unicast frames to the destination port |
| Bandwidth | Shared across the whole segment | A separate link per port, subject to port speed and overall network limits |
| Traffic visibility | Every frame reaches every connected port | Known unicast goes only to the destination port; unknown unicast and broadcasts can still be flooded |
| Typical use today | Legacy device; Cisco’s reviewed guidance identifies no ordinary home-network advantage | Usual choice for adding wired Ethernet connections |
| Configuration | No configuration; simple repeater behavior | Unmanaged for plug-and-play use; managed for added configuration, security, and control |
Where a router fits
A hub and a switch both connect devices within one LAN. A router has a different job: it connects networks, including a local network and the internet, and it makes forwarding decisions based on IP addresses. A switch works with MAC addresses inside the LAN. A router does not replace a switch, and a switch does not route traffic between networks.
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In a typical small network, a switch connects to a router port to provide more wired connections. Many home gateways combine several roles in one box, such as routing, Wi-Fi, and a few built-in Ethernet ports. When you read a product description, check which function it is performing, because a single device can be doing more than one job.
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Choosing between them for a home or small office
For almost any new wired expansion, you want a switch. Before buying one, check the following.
- Port count: Count every wired device now and plan for a few more. Your router’s built-in ports are often the limit.
- Port speed: Confirm that the switch’s ports match the speed your devices and internet connection need.
- Unmanaged or managed: An unmanaged switch is plug-and-play and suits basic home or small-office connectivity. A managed switch offers configuration options for more security, capacity, and control, and it suits networks that need those features.
- Power over Ethernet: If you plan to power cameras or access points through the cable, confirm that the switch supports PoE and has enough power budget.
Hubs are rarely the right choice for new equipment. If you find one in an older installation, replacing it with a switch is usually the simplest way to stop sharing one segment across every device.
Sources for this article include Cisco’s documentation on network switching, LAN switching troubleshooting, what an Ethernet switch is, and how a switch works, including its comparison with hubs and routers.
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