Hubs & Switches

Repeaters are devices which are used to amplify (regenerate) a data signal for transmission over long distances. Repeaters do not repeat a signal necessarily, they interpret the message then send out the interpreted message.

A hub is a central connection point for all other nodes on a star network. The purpose of a hub is to transmit data to all the nodes on the network. When a hub receives data from a node it will read the signal and generate an identical signal just like a repeater but send that message to all the wires connecting to nodes.

A switch is like a hub, as it usually is the central node of a star network but it has the additional function of recognising the destination of a message. A node sends a message with an address to the switch, the switch can recognise the destination and will only send it to the desired node.