Hub how does it work

The most common operation it performs is that it repeats all the information it receives and forward it to all PC terminals attached to it. This repetition of data results in unnecessary data traffic being sent to the network. Therefore the data is sent in bulk without the identification of its destination. Whereas switches work in more efficient way, switches control the flow of data traffic in an organized way. A switch is an intelligent device.

Switches can identify easily to which it has to send data. Transfer of appropriate data packets to appropriate units thus help to increase network bandwidth. Hence we can say that the use of switches instead of hubs lower the load of unnecessary data being sent to the network. This unnecessary data flow results due to the same amount of information sent to all units irrespective of their individual needs.

Network hubs are devices which operate at layer one physical layer of the OSI model, as compared to switches which work on the layer 2 data link layer of the OSI model. Often a switch and a hub is combined to make a switching hub, which serves the basic purpose of transporting the right data packets to right place. However this network hub comes under the head of hubs and not switches. There are three broad categories of hubs if we compare them on technical bases.

Passive hubs, active hubs and intelligent hubs are three kinds of hubs most frequently used. How its work? Basic features of the hub network. Why hub is a physical layer device? Types of Hub and Advantages and Disadvantages of a hub network. A hub is a networking device that is used to connect multiple devices or segments on a local network. It is a physical layer layer-1 device that simply broadcasts all incoming data to all other output ports. It is not an intelligent device because it does not have any memory to store device information.

Hub works like an electric wire, it receives data signals from one device in his one port and forwards to all the other ports, except the source port. It does not have any capability to identify any frames to know where it should forward because it does not maintain any kind of table like switch.

So there is a lot of traffic on the network and network performance is also very poor, only one device transmits information at a particular time. It works on star topology physically because all the devices are connected to the central node, but logically it acts as a bus topology.

Be aware that there are many non-compliant USB hubs on the market that may not conform tot he power limitations. Using them and drawing too much current can lead to difficult to resolve power issues, so users should be aware. USB hubs are normally plug and play and work very easily straight out of the box.

They ahve been developed to a stage where there is normally little to do in setting them up and using them. However, when using them there are a few useful pointers to note to ensure that the best performance is achieved. For example, in some cases an Ethernet connection to the Internet may be made via the hub, or a large capacity disk drive - these connections should be made via the fastest USB hub available.

Always use the fastest ports where high speed is needed and use the slower ports for mouse or keyboard connections, etc. Higher power peripherals may require dedicated USB slot: In some instances peripherals need a reasonable level of power.

There may be instances where the peripheral does not work via the USB hub, but needs a direct connection, or the use of a powered USB hub.

Some hubs may become warm: With the level of functionality contained within some of the more complicated USB hubs, large amounts of processing are required. This means that the hubs will consume power and will become quite warm.

Be aware that some USB hubs can run quite warm and as such they should be sufficiently ventilated to prevent them from becoming too hot. It is best to ensure that the USB hub is connected to a high speed port so that the best performance is obtained. USB ports can be chained: As there are often limited ports on many devices, and also some USB hubs have limited ports, they can be chained, i. However be aware of the power limitations because it is very quickly possible to overload any power availability.

By being aware of a few of these points, it is possible to ensure that the performance is maximised and that any characteristics are made obvious before they are used. USB hubs are being used increasingly as items like laptops and other mobile computing devices need increased connectivity while the number of connectors on the devices reduce to keep them slim and uncluttered.