Switch or hub?
Switch or hub?
You're looking for a setup that connects your NAS and gaming PC together via Ethernet, with redundancy so both stay online even if one fails. A switch is a solid choice here—it handles multiple devices, manages traffic, and can keep your network stable. If you need more advanced features like QoS or VLANs later, a hub could work but might limit performance. For reliability and simplicity, go with a managed Ethernet switch.
A hub is an inefficient gadget that has no understanding and releases information everywhere; in reality, you're usually restricted to around 100Mbps if you manage to locate one. A switch operates intelligently, directing data precisely and performing far more tasks (your typical home switch is often gigabit-capable) without constantly broadcasting everything. Choose a switch.
It's hard to find a need for such a hub these days. A simple 5-port Gigabit switch is already affordable at just $30.
Thank you for your feedback. It seems the item was only about $20, but I understand wanting something reliable for your needs.
It might be because there wasn’t much detail available, yet they keep appearing frequently in discussions.
A hub operates with simpler processing power. When it gets information from one port, it broadcasts that info to all connected ports, unaffected by the specific needs of each device. If three machines link to a hub and one sends a file to another, the remaining connections slow down because the hub also picks up irrelevant data and discards it. A network switch functions more intelligently; it recognizes IP addresses for each connected device and directs traffic only to the appropriate port based on that information. Thus, the first machine can send a file to the second, and the switch efficiently routes it between those two ports, leaving the third machine with full bandwidth without interference.
It might simply be individuals referring to switches as hubs, since they resemble each other and perform identical functions (appearing alike).
Yes, many Amazon listings combine both names in the product description even though they're primarily about switches.