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Whats Faster, A Router Or A Hub? And What Would Be Better For Networking And Why?

Not in the same family to compare. A router connects one network of computers to another network...such as a network at an office to the internet (which is another network), or connects one office to another.

Hub is a device that connects computers together to form a network.

What you may be thinking of is comparing a hub to a switch. Switches perform the same function as a hub...just in a better, more efficient manner...better hardware control...generally faster. So as not to go into too much detail, a hub is just a dumb repeater.....whatever information a computer sends out will go to every port on the hub, like a shotgun approach, which makes for "traffic congestion". A switch looks at data when it leaves a computer, asks it where it's going, and directs it to it's intended destination.....the port and only the port it's meant to go to....instead of every port. It's like having a good traffic cop under the hood...directing traffic. Keeps congestion down to only the needed ports.

Quoting myself from an earlier post with almost the same question:

Router - multifunction device used to perform any number of functions involved in the routing of traffic across a network, to include filtering, routing of ports, Network Address Translation, etc.

Hub/Switch - simple device used to distribute bandwidth across nodes in a network. The difference between a hub and switch is simple to understand when related to highways and automobiles.

Imagine your local Interstate highway was a hub or switch, with a maximum speed of 100 miles per hour.

If cars travelling that highway are capable travelling at 100 miles per hour, then they all CAN travel at 100 miles per hour, even if one of the cars that uses that highway only travels at 10 miles per hour, the rest of the cars can still do 100 - thats a switch

If just one car can only do 10 miles per hour ALL cars on that highway are forced to do 10 miles per hour while traversing that interstate - thats a hub

If you connect 1 10Mb device to a 10/100 hub, all traffic across that hub with be reduced to 10Mb If you connect a 10Mb device to a switch already populated with 100Mb devices, the other devices running at 100Mb will still be able to talk to each other at 100Mb, unless they attempt to communicate with the 10Mb device.

these other gurus have explained it enough, but in my most simple terms I would just tell you that a router is faster and more capable than a hub because most routers have built in switches and switches (as YeOldeStonecat explained)are much smarter and faster than hubs.

So in dummy terms, a router is a really smart, fast hub that can connect you to the internet (or other network) while a hub is a stupid, slow device that can't connect you directly to the internet (only through ICS which is software related and slow as hell.)

Originally posted by koldchillah33

So in dummy terms, a router is a really smart, fast hub that can connect you to the internet (or other network) while a hub is a stupid,

Just to be proper, a router is a totally different animal, totally different category, totally different job. Hubs you can compare to switches, and visa versa. But you don't compare hubs/switches, to routers. Yes most home routers do happen to have a built in hub or a built in switch....but that built in hub/switch is only a part of those home routers. Some home routers also have a built in printer port, but you don't compare those routers to HP Jet Direct print servers. The router itself is really separate, has a totally and completely different job than a hub/switch. Matter of fact, most business class routers don't even have a built in hub/switch, it's simply two ports, a WAN, and a LAN side.

Another simple analogy is comparing a router and a hub/switch to your home's electrical system.

A router is the circuit panel in your house, it controls, routes and distributes the current (bandwidth) out to single outlets around your house.

Hubs/switches can be compared to power strips you plug into those outlets do provide current (bandwidth) to multiple devices.

Routers can be, and commonly are sold with switches built into them to keep you from having to buy a separate unit to perform this function.

yes, to be proper you are correct. The router is a separate animal than hubs/switches. I would never explain it that way to someone who is trying to become Network+ certified (my bad, maybe ze20 is in Networks+ class right now). But for someone who just doesn't have a clue about either piece of equipment, sometimes comparing two totally different things in terms of their similarities can help clarify better. To answer ze2o's questions directly:

Whats faster, a router or a hub? - router.

What would be better for networking and why?

- the router would be the better choice in most situations because of the reasons thoroughly mentioned all over the place in the above posts.
IN A SIMPLE HOME NETWORK, the router does ALMOST the same job as a hub, just much better. The only NOTICEABLE difference (to a beginner user) the router adds to the scene is the separation of LAN & WAN, often NAT (depending on the router), & quicker, smarter data transfer between nodes.

Other than that, If I switch out my router for a hub, I still have a functioning network.. I just don't connect directly to the WAN side anymore (unless I use software ICS), and peer2peer data transfer becomes slower and less reliable.

By definition the router is totally different than a hub.

But as applied to ze2o's situation, their are in fact similarities in accordance to how they will be used in a simple network setup.

Originally posted by koldchillah33
yes, to be proper you are correct. The router is a separate animal than hubs/switches. I would never explain it that way to someone who is trying to become Network+ certified (my bad, maybe ze20 is in Networks+ class right now). But for someone who just doesn't have a clue about either piece of equipment, sometimes comparing two totally different things in terms of their similarities can help clarify better. To answer ze2o's questions directly:

I prefer to educate them earlier on, so as to iron out further confusion. Suppose he only wants to build a network, such as a peer to peer network or something, with no internet connection in the plans. Now he'll go on buying a router...instead of the proper device...a switch, or hub if on a budget.

Educate in the early steps, build a good foundation.

true. I hear ya... good foundation is important and I do believe we presented ze2o with such in the first posts. Analogies were the key here and they all sounded great.
I apologize ze2o if I made things more confusing or if I gave the impression that you needed specifically a router without first finding out your exact needs. I thought I was simply attacking the question head on without the definitions & explanations which had already been given:

quote: "The only NOTICEABLE difference (to a beginner user) the router adds to the scene is the separation of LAN & WAN (in a sense, direct internet access IF NECESSARY), often NAT (depending on the router)(see Old Farts' post), & quicker, smarter data transfer between nodes(see YeOldeStonecats' post).

there, that should clarify any confusion. sorry.

Originally posted by ze2o
Whats Faster, A Router Or A Hub? And What Would Be Better For Networking And Why?

The answer to your first question is "It would depend on what their purpose was for"

The answer to your second question is "Can't be answered because you haven't stated the purpose of the Network"

Simple definitions

HUB = Dumb device that recieves a message and repeats the received message to all ports/devices connected to it, therefore its bandwidth/efficiency for transfering messages is limited. (its purpose is to connect devices together)

Switch = smarter device that can learn what device is on what port and direct messages to the proper ports. Plus has ability to send and receive messages at the same time. Therefore its bandwidth/efficiency is not as limited and varies with the quality of the Switch. (its purpose is to connect devices together)

Router = a device that connects networks together. (used by most home users to connect their LAN(Local area network) to the WAN(Wide area network, the Internet)


SOME routers have Built in switches, SOME routers have built in HUBS. Some routers have ONE LAN port and ONE WAN port.

I think that these soho devices that cram so much into a single box have newbies confused. Router/switch/hub/print server combos....hard to someone who has never touched an enterprise class router to understand what a single-function device does.

Skye

Originally posted by cyberskye
I think that these soho devices that cram so much into a single box have newbies confused. Router/switch/hub/print server combos....hard to someone who has never touched an enterprise class router to understand what a single-function device does.

Skye

yep

Originally posted by cyberskye
I think that these soho devices that cram so much into a single box have newbies confused. Router/switch/hub/print server combos....hard to someone who has never touched an enterprise class router to understand what a single-function device does.

Skye

///nods head in agreement///

The answer to your question is that a switch is faster than a hub.

The maximum speed of a hub is divided by the number of devices connected to it. If you have a 10mb hub with 5 connections, the max speed is 2mbit per port.

A switch does not suffer this limitation and can maintain 10mb throughput between any two connected devices.

Regards,
-Bouncer-