More hubs = Slower network

[Cupis]

Hi Guys,

I have a simple question for you guys. Does your network slow down when you add more bus to it?

For example.

You have a network of about 50 users, each user is connected to 1 of the 3 Routers. If you had to add hubs at certain points to add more users to a particular area. Does your whole network slow done when you add more hubs? or is it just those points that take strain?

Thanks guys

[ADV4NCED]

Yes because you're adding more users to the network so obviously it will take more strain

[Cupis]

Lol, besides that

Does it generally slow down the network as apposed to laying down more cable to that area to connect users to the main switch

[ADV4NCED]

mmm I would say yeah slightly, because its another point in the system they must go through...

But I would also say its probably better, in terms of reliability, than laying meters and meters of cabling...

It would also probably cost you more to lay for example 25 long cables to that area, than to put a switch there with shorter cabling to each machine...

Also it would be a pain in the bottom to run all those cables, not to mention if you had to trouble shoot them or one of them, later on...

[Ron2K]

Hubs will always slow a network down - if data comes in at one port, they blindly forward the data out of all other ports. The result is a lot of unwanted traffic on your network. Switches, on the other hand, are layer 2 devices - they can read the ARP header, remember who is connected to what port, and only forward the data out of the port that it needs to go out of (obviously it will go out on all ports if it's a broadcast packet or the destination isn't in the switch's ARP cache). I didn't know that people still used hubs - most people phased them out ages ago.

[hamin_aus]

What is more important, your users network speeds, or the cost/hassle of cabling

If speed is important then lay the cables and buy switches.
If you are penny pinching, then use hubs, but Ron is right, they create more issues than they solve and the cheaper initial cost may end up costing you more in time lost while your users wait for the slow network....
Hopefully you at least coughed up the cash for intelligent hubs.

[DAE_JA_VOO]

Hubs - yes. Switches - no.

Hubs create big collision domains. Every packet sent on a hub is sent out to every other port on the hub. So if you had three hubs connected to each other, and a packet was sent from port 1 on hub 1, every single port on all three hubs will get that packet, even the ports on hub 3, because it's one big collision domain. If you used switches (layer 2 devices), that packet would only get sent to the port to which it is intended.

EDIT: Ah, beat me to it, Ron!

[ADV4NCED]

Although he said hub, I assume he actually meant switches...

Who would implement hubs these days anyway

[DAE_JA_VOO]

Although he said hub, I assume he actually meant switches...

Dude, you can't make an assumption like that

"Hey guys, can I use an Intel CPU?"

"I'm just going to assume you meant AMD. And yes, you can"



He said "Hub", we should assume he meant "Hub"

[doo_much]

Although he said hub, I assume he actually meant switches...

Who would implement hubs these days anyway

Me

[hamin_aus]

Hubs create big collision domains.

If you have a hub with data collision control and you set all NICs on the hub to half duplex you shouldn't have collision problems, but you will definitely have speed issues...

[Cupis]

Yes all makes complete sense. Now given that switches are Soooo Much better. again if you put a lot onto your network? Im guessing it will have very little impact then on performance (well other than that one point that those pc's are sharing)

[hamin_aus]

Let's talk about that cable - is it CAT5 or CAT5E?

[Cupis]

CAT5E

[hamin_aus]

With a decent non-blocking switch, each port can do the full rated speed, so if you have a 24 port 100Mb switch, each port can transfer data at 100Mb simultaneously, assuming your cabling can transmit 24 x 100Mb of data (which CAT5E and even the new so-called CAT6 can't).
So to answer your question: Yes, the one point they are all sharing will impact the speed, although a switch will be vastly quicker than a hub.

Most companies use very fast cabling CAT6 or CAT6E between servers and switches, and then regular old CAT5E between switches and PC's - this helps mitigate that speed loss, but I'm not a networking guru, I just don't have any work do do right now so here is a very decent FAQ with answers to most notworking questions.

[ADV4NCED]

Although he said hub, I assume he actually meant switches...

Dude, you can't make an assumption like that

"Hey guys, can I use an Intel CPU?"

"I'm just going to assume you meant AMD. And yes, you can"



He said "Hub", we should assume he meant "Hub"

Haha yes very true!

Just thought it was one of those common mistakes as many people interchange the words hub & switch without knowing the different functionality they have

[Nuke]

No a doorstop won't slow down the network, as long as you use it as a doorstop.....Ron answered the rest of the question. There is no reason anyone should still use hubs, you can pick up a second hand Cisco 2950 for about R1k if you shop around, some of them even have 2 Gigabit uplink ports. Good equipment = Less headaches