Hubs Bridges and Switches

Hubs, bridges, and switches are all networking devices used to connect devices in a Local Area Network (LAN). They are used to interconnect devices such as computers, printers, and servers in order to enable communication between them. However, there are significant differences between these devices in terms of their functionality and performance.

Hubs are the simplest of the three devices and work by broadcasting data to all devices connected to the hub. When a device sends data to the hub, the hub broadcasts the data to all other devices connected to it. This can result in network congestion and slower performance as more devices are added to the network.

Bridges, on the other hand, are designed to connect two or more LANs together. They are used to segment larger networks into smaller ones, which can improve network performance. Bridges work by filtering network traffic and forwarding only the necessary data between the different LANs.

Switches are the most advanced of the three devices, and are used to connect devices in a LAN by creating a dedicated communication channel between each device. Switches work by examining the destination address of the data packets received on each port and forwarding them only to the port that leads to the destination device. This creates a more efficient network with less congestion and faster performance than hubs and bridges.