If you're shopping for components to set up a home network, you will have to make a choice between active and passive hubs and switches.

  • Passive Hubs for Home Networks
    Passive hubs are very inexpensive. In actuality, a passive hub is nothing more than several connectors wired together.
    • Pro:
      Cheap, no external power source required, excellent for very small networks with few computers.
    • Con:
      Usable for relatively short distances, all computers share the same bandwidth (one computer sending out a packet goes to all the computers on the network), half-duplex operation, using a combination of 10/100 speed Ethernet causes the throughput to be around 10Mbps.

  • Active Hubs for Home Networks
    Active hubs have the added benefit of receiving packets and amplifying them before sending them out to the other computers.
    • Pro:
      Also relatively cheap, excellent for very small networks with few computers, usable for longer distances.
    • Con:
      All computers share the same bandwidth (one computer sending out a packet goes to all the computers on the network), normally half-duplex operation, require a power source, using a combination of 10/100 speed Ethernet causes the throughput to be around 10Mbps.

  • Switches for Home Networks
    Switches are the best solution if you are running a cablemodem or DSL and you share it amongst many computers. Switches analyze the packets and send them only to the destination port. The other computers do not hear this exchange. A switch allows full transfer rates; sixteen 100Mbps computers can talk to each other at the same time at 100Mbps each whereas a hub forces all of the 16 computers to share a piece of the 100Mbps pie.
    • Pro:
      Excellent for larger networks with many computers, can mix 10/100 speed Ethernet components and have each connection operate as fast as the slowest computer, computers do not share the same bandwidth, full-duplex operation, usable for relatively longer distances.
    • Con:
      Not cheap (but some 4- or 5-port units can be purchased for the same as active hubs if you shop around), requires a power source.


iandunn says re Switches Vs Hubs for Home Networks: Nowadays switches are so cheap that there's really no content. Although, I'd personally choose a small router like the Linksys BEFSR41 over a switch

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