Hubs and Switches
The biggest difference between using coaxial cable and twisted-pair cable is that when you use twisted-pair cable, you also must use a separate device called a hub. With twisted-pair cabling, you can more easily add new computers to the network, move computers, find and correct cable problems, and service the computers that you need to remove from the network temporarily.
A switch is simply a more sophisticated type of hub.
If you use twisted-pair cabling, you need to know some of the ins and outs of using hubs:
✦ Because you must run a cable from each computer to the hub or switch, find a central location for the hub or switch to which you can easily route the cables.
✦ The hub or switch requires electrical power, so make sure that an electrical outlet is handy.
✦ When you purchase a hub or switch, purchase one with at least twice as many connections as you need. Don’t buy a four-port hub or switch if you want to network four computers because when (not if) you add the fifth computer, you have to buy another hub or switch.
✦ You can connect hubs or switches to one another, as shown in Figure 3-3; this is called daisy-chaining. When you daisy-chain hubs or switches, you connect a cable to a standard port on one of the hubs or switches and the daisy-chain port on the other hub or switch. Be sure to read the instructions that come with the hub or switch to make sure that you daisy-chain them properly.
✦ You can daisy-chain no more than three hubs or switches together. If you have more computers than three hubs can accommodate, don’t panic. For a small additional cost, you can purchase hubs that have a BNC connection on the back. Then you can string the hubs together using thinnet cable. The three-hub limit doesn’t apply when you use thinnet cable to connect the hubs. You can also get stackable hubs or switches that have high-speed direct connections that enable two or more hubs or switches to be counted as a single hub or switch.
The biggest difference between using coaxial cable and twisted-pair cable is that when you use twisted-pair cable, you also must use a separate device called a hub. With twisted-pair cabling, you can more easily add new computers to the network, move computers, find and correct cable problems, and service the computers that you need to remove from the network temporarily.
A switch is simply a more sophisticated type of hub.
If you use twisted-pair cabling, you need to know some of the ins and outs of using hubs:
✦ Because you must run a cable from each computer to the hub or switch, find a central location for the hub or switch to which you can easily route the cables.
✦ The hub or switch requires electrical power, so make sure that an electrical outlet is handy.
✦ When you purchase a hub or switch, purchase one with at least twice as many connections as you need. Don’t buy a four-port hub or switch if you want to network four computers because when (not if) you add the fifth computer, you have to buy another hub or switch.
✦ You can connect hubs or switches to one another, as shown in Figure 3-3; this is called daisy-chaining. When you daisy-chain hubs or switches, you connect a cable to a standard port on one of the hubs or switches and the daisy-chain port on the other hub or switch. Be sure to read the instructions that come with the hub or switch to make sure that you daisy-chain them properly.
✦ You can daisy-chain no more than three hubs or switches together. If you have more computers than three hubs can accommodate, don’t panic. For a small additional cost, you can purchase hubs that have a BNC connection on the back. Then you can string the hubs together using thinnet cable. The three-hub limit doesn’t apply when you use thinnet cable to connect the hubs. You can also get stackable hubs or switches that have high-speed direct connections that enable two or more hubs or switches to be counted as a single hub or switch.
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