Hub and Bridge are two computer networking devices that allow regulating data to the other related devices. Both devices are used for different purposes and they also work differently. Hubs and Bridges have majorly helped the IT sectors by making their job more simple and time-saving. In this article, we will discuss everything in detail. And, if you require polished data then such devices are very helpful.
Hub vs Bridge
The main difference between Hub and Bridge is their connection accessibility. Hub allows connecting several devices at a time, while on the other hand, Bridges connects only two LAN Segments as it comes with a limited number of ports and that is two.
Hub is a widely used networking device to generate connections between various devices and hence the data is sent to each related device via ports. Also, the data that are served through the hub are not filtered and hence it causes a lot of traffic and security issues.
On the other hand, Bridge is a comparatively highly efficient networking device than the Hub as it never allows itself to send the data to the devices if that particular address is not selected. Therefore, it causes less traffic. It comes with two limited ports for data transportation.
Comparison Table Between Hub and Bridge
| Parameters of Comparison | Hub | Bridge |
| Ports | Generally, hubs come with several ports, counting between 4 to 12. | Only two ports are available in a bridge. |
| Intelligent | Hubs are not that intelligent. | Bridges are comparatively more intellectual than a hub. |
| Link | Hub is considered to be a Physical Layer. | The bridge has been categorized as a Data Link Layer. |
| Filtration | The filtration of data is not processed by the hub. | The bridge always filters the data while transferring. |
| Security | The security service in the hub is a bit weaker. | The bridge has better security. |
What is Hub?
Hub is a networking device that helps to send the data to the other devices that are attached to it. The devices are connected via ports and in general, the hub is attached with several ports. And usually, there are about 4 to 12 ports and it depends upon the type of hub. Hubs are sub-divided into two variants, the active hub, and the passive hub. Active hubs are used to regulate the weak signal during the networking process. And, Passive hubs allow the electrical signal to send a transmission. The main job of a hub is to send the data to each port that is attached to it.
For the first time, the idea of a hub was put forward by US Airlines in the year 1955 but later around the 1970s the Federal Express again developed it for usage, and since then it has been largely in use. The link of Hub is considered as a Physical Layer. And its is placed in such a way that it can connect itself by a single LAN Segment to run the process smoothly.
The hub never filters the data before transferring them to the other devices and hence it has a weak security system. And, it causes a lot of traffic as sometimes the unwanted data are sent to the unselected address with prior knowledge. Therefore, the unwanted data is sent which causes major traffic problems.
What is Bridge?
The bridge is a part of Computing Networking that is generally the main supporting device that allows multiple LANs to connect from the major LAN. And this process of networking is known as network bridging. Even though it connects several LANs but their main protocol is the same for all. The bridge is more advanced and helps to transfer the filtered data to the connecting devices. It was initially released in the year 1980 by the Digital Equipment Corporation.
The bridge has two main ports which connect the other devices. And this allows filtering the data received by the bridge. Therefore, it causes less traffic and allows the other devices to work smoothly. In bridge, we can select the data whether we want to send that particular data or not, and without permission it never allows the unwanted data to move from one place to the other. Also, it uses the Data Link Layer. And it mainly uses the Media Access Control (MAC) hardware to transfer the address frames.
The bridge has been divided into three types and is Transparent bridge, the Translational bridge, and the Route bridge. Transparent Bridge is the most common bridge used for controlling the MAC addresses for traffic. The bridge that binds two different LANs together is known as Translational Bridge. And, the last Route bridge is the network that allows the TRILL Protocol to implement as per IETF.
Main Differences Between Hub and Bridge
- There are about 4 to 12 ports in hubs in general while on the other hand, a limit of 2 ports are placed in a bridge.
- Hubs lack behind than Bridge while on the other hand, Bridge is highly advanced and intelligent.
- Hub is said to have a Physical Layer while on the other hand, a Data Link Layer denotes the link of a bridge.
- While sending the data, the hub does not allow itself to filter while on the other hand, the bridge filters the data every single time.
- The security protection in a hub is not that good while on the other hand, the bridge has a highly efficient security system.
Conclusion
Hubs and Bridges are two efficient computer networking devices, that manage the data before generating it to the other linked devices. Both devices are widely used by the Information Technology sector to have clear data. Also, the devices have different functions from each other and together they work amazingly. In general, they work their respective functions perfectly. They are even sub-divided into their variants.
References
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6632033/
- https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/mnsc.1050.0407