Understanding Ethernet Repeaters and Switches

Understanding Ethernet Repeaters and Switches
An ethernet repeater (commonly called a shared ethernet hub) refers to a component
that provides ethernet connections among multiple stations sharing a common
collision domain (see Figure 6.5). Consider utilizing a hub when connecting local user
stations (that is, a workgroup) to a single server that has only one connection to
the LAN.
A switch is more intelligent than a hub because it has the capability to connect the
sending station directly to the receiving station (see Figure 6.6). This results in multiple
collision domains and significantly increases throughput. A switch is generally
more expensive than a hub; however, consider utilizing a switch if you need to connect
user stations if multiple server connections exist or high utilization is impacting
the performance of a repeater-based LAN.