What Is a Hub? Understand Network Hubs in Simple Terms

You’ve probably heard the term network hub thrown around, especially when setting up devices or learning how your internet works. But really—what is a hub, and why should you care? Even though hubs aren’t as common as they once were, they’re still worth understanding if you’re getting into networking or just curious about how your devices talk to each other. In this guide, we’ll walk you through what a hub does, how it works behind the scenes, its ups and downs, and how it stacks up against something more modern—like a switch.

Alt: Network hub with Ethernet cables

What Is a Hub in Network?

A hub is a basic device used to connect multiple computers or other network devices within a Local Area Network (LAN). Think of it as a central point where all devices plug in, allowing them to communicate with each other. Most hubs come with 4, 8, or sometimes 16 Ethernet ports, and all devices plugged into those ports share the same bandwidth.

Because hubs operate at the physical layer (Layer 1) of the OSI model, they deal solely with the transmission of raw bits over a physical medium. When a device sends data to the hub, the hub doesn’t analyze or direct any of the data; instead, it broadcasts the data to all connected devices in the network, regardless of who the actual recipient is.

While hubs were commonly used in earlier networking setups due to their simplicity and cost-effectiveness, they’ve largely been replaced by more intelligent devices like switches and routers that can manage network traffic more efficiently.

Alt: A network hub

How Does a Hub Work?

Here’s a simple look at how a hub does its job:

1. A device sends data: When one device (like your computer) wants to send data, it uses a small hardware component called a Network Interface Card (NIC). This is what lets your device connect to a wired network.
2. The hub receives the data: The hub takes in the signal from the NIC through one of its ports.
3. It sends the data to everyone: Instead of sending the data just to the correct device, the hub copies it and sends it out to allother connected devices (also called nodes).
4. All devices “listen”: Every connected device sees the same message, but only the intended one actually accepts and processes it. The others just ignore it.
5. One direction at a time: Hubs can only send or receive data at one time (this is called half-duplex), which can slow things down if multiple devices try to communicate at once.

What Are the Pros and Cons of a Hub?

While hubs are simple and affordable, they also come with serious limitations compared to modern network switches. Here’s a quick look at what are hubs’ pros and cons:

Pros: Why You Might Still Use a Hub

• Ultra-low cost.Basic hubs are cheaper than even the most affordable switches, making them a quick fix for temporary setups or tight budgets.
• Zero configuration.Just plug in your devices and go—no software, settings, or networking know-how needed.
• Great for packet sniffing and troubleshooting.Since a hub sends all data to all ports, it's easy to monitor traffic with tools like Wireshark without setting up anything extra.
• Works with old equipment.If you’re connecting older devices that only support 10 Mbps or half-duplex, a hub keeps things simple and compatible.

Cons: Why Hubs Are Rare Today

• Everyone shares the same bandwidth.If two devices try to send data at the same time, their signals can collide, slowing down your network.
• Half‑duplex and slow.Hubs can only send or receive at one time and typically top out at 10 Mbps, a crawl compared with today’s gigabit and multi‑gig links
• No traffic control.Hubs don’t know where to send data, so they send it to every device, wasting bandwidth.
• Not secure.Since all frames go everywhere, anyone who plugs in can capture passwords and other sensitive data—no hacking tricks required.
• Doesn’t scale well.The more devices you add, the more congested your network becomes.

What’s the Difference Between a Hub and a Switch?

At first glance, hubs and switches might look similar. They both connect multiple devices on a network using Ethernet cables. But under the hood, they work very differently. Here’s a breakdown of their differences:

How They Forward Data

• Hub (Layer 1): Works strictly at the physical layer of the OSI model, repeating electrical signals without inspecting them.
• Switch (Layer 2): Operates at the data-link layer, building a MAC-address table so it can steer each frame to the correct port.

Because a hub has no memory or logic, every device “hears” every frame, forcing each network-interface card (NIC) to decide whether to accept or ignore it. A switch, on the other hand, stores the destination address and forwards only what’s relevant, keeping the conversation private and efficient.

Duplex Mode

Hubs can run only in half-duplex mode—devices can either send or receive at any given moment—so collisions are common.

Switches support full duplex, letting devices send and receive simultaneously and effectively doubling usable bandwidth on every port.

Bandwidth Management

Hubs share a single communication channel across all ports. So, whether you plug in two devices or ten, they all compete for the same bandwidth. Most hubs are limited to 10 Mbps, or 100 Mbps in some “fast Ethernet” models. But because everyone shares that pipe, adding more devices means less bandwidth per device—and more chances for data collisions and delays.

Switches, on the other hand, give each device its own dedicated bandwidth. A typical switch offers 100 Mbps or 1 Gbps per port, and some models even support 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps, or 10 Gbps connections. This means several devices can send and receive data at full speed simultaneously, without slowing each other down.

Alt: Network switch with cables

Security and Traffic Isolation

Since a hub forwards every frame to every port, anyone on the segment can capture all traffic—bad news for privacy.

A switch sends frames only to their destination port, shielding other devices unless you intentionally enable features like port mirroring or VLANs for monitoring.

Cost and Typical Use Cases

Hubs are undeniably cheap—often under $30—so if you need a quick, no-config way to connect a handful of legacy, low-speed devices (or you want an easy packet-sniffing tap for a lab), a hub still fits.

Switches cost a bit more but pay you back with speed, scalability, and peace-of-mind security, making them the default choice for homes, offices, and data centers alike.

Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison:

Conclusion

So now you know what a hub is—a no-frills way to connect multiple devices on the same network. It’s basic, yes, but it gets the job done in smaller or more straightforward setups. Sure, switches are smarter and more efficient, but if you’re just trying to connect a few devices without overthinking it, a hub might still make sense.

FAQs

What security protocols does a network hub use?

None. A hub operates at the physical layer (Layer 1) of the OSI model, where it simply receives a frame on one port and rebroadcasts it to every other port. Because it neither inspects nor filters traffic, it offers no mechanisms for encryption, authentication, port security, VLANs or access-control lists—features that only appear in higher-layer devices such as managed switches and routers.

When should I use a hub network?

Use a hub only in niche cases where its very simplicity is an advantage. For example, tiny home or lab setups with just a few legacy devices, quick “plug-and-play” connections during troubleshooting, or packet-capture scenarios where you want to sniff every frame without configuring SPAN/port-mirroring. For anything larger, modern unmanaged switches cost about the same, eliminate collisions, isolate traffic to the intended port, and can add basic security and performance features.