A common connection point for devices in a network. Hubs are commonly used to connect segments of a LAN. A hub contains multiple ports. When a packet arrives at one port, it is copied to the other ports so that all segments of the LAN can see all packets.
A passive hub serves simply as a conduit for the data, enabling it to go from one device (or segment) to another. So-called intelligent hubs include additional features that enables an administrator to monitor the traffic passing through the hub and to configure each port in the hub. Intelligent hubs are also called manageable hubs.
A third type of hub, called a switching hub, actually reads the destination address of each packet and then forwards the packet to the correct port.
IETF Hub Working Group Charter Describes the IETF Hub (IEEE 802.3) working group and includes contact and mailing list information and links to Internet drafts and Request for Comments documents.
Introduction to Hubs This article explains the purpose of hubs and some of the technology behind them.
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What's the Difference Between Routers, Switches and Hubs? Many people use the terms routers, switches and hubs interchangeably. However, the functions of the three devices are all quite different from one another, even if at times they are all integrated into a single device.