Yes, there are network hubs available.
Yes, there are network hubs available.
I’m not aiming to purchase a network hub myself; I just need a suitable link for a school project. I’ve been searching for some time and haven’t found any that meet my needs. Could you help me locate one? Also, please let me know if the Amazon link should be on amazon.ca. Thank you ahead of time!
I don't want to purchase a hub; I just need a link for my school project.
They’re not really producing hub ICs anymore... you’ll still discover new hubs using older stock chips or fresh chips (since some firms are required by contracts to manufacture batches for other businesses or U.S. military as spare parts). A solid starting point is the link provided: newegg’s networking section for wired networking, with hubs listed under that category. Be aware that results often mix genuine hubs with USB hubs or USB hubs that include a network port (thanks to USB-C input), so you’ll need to narrow your search significantly. Actual third-party hubs are usually priced very high and hard to find on Newegg because they’re not in stock but avoid removing them from the site. Specific models like the 3com 3C16753-US OfficeConnect Dual Speed Hub and LINKSYS EtherFast EFAH05W are mentioned, along with a few other options.
I believe network hubs are no longer in use, with switches now dominating the landscape. The way traffic flows differs significantly between hubs and switches—hubs broadcast data to every connected device, while switches manage traffic more intelligently. Hubs are outdated due to their inefficiency and slow performance.
I believe you're facing a challenging situation, as even a basic 5-port switch I purchased more than 15 years ago wasn't a hub.
Eh... another suggestion. Consider adding "industrial" before your Google searches, like looking for "industrial ethernet hub"—they still offer tough versions or... well, they just supply replacement pieces for industrial equipment. In a few exceptional cases, hubs are more practical than switches, or certain machines are designed to take advantage of that, unlike switches where data packets are forwarded automatically to all Ethernet ports, disregarding MAC addresses and other details. Some also use them for affordable "port mirroring," since it simplifies logging traffic in and out of a machine. For instance, check this site: https://www.phoenixcontact.com/online/po...48fc846eb4 But I suspect few would spend $500 on one. You can find them at a place like: https://www.digikey.com/products/en/netw...ageSize=25