Eli5 Switch, Router and Hub
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For the average home user, here are the three types of devices you might have:
Modem: you didn’t mention this one, but 99% of the time you’re going to have a cable modem or a DSL modem. If you happen to have Fiber Internet, you’ll have a Optical Network Terminal instead. Either way, think of this as the device that enables you to connect to your ISP miles away.
Router: to a home Internet user, this is the device that enables you to have lots of devices share one Internet connection. Usually this is a Wifi router, meaning it broadcasts a Wifi signal, and also lets you plug in devices directly using Ethernet.
Switch: less common, but if you want to connect a bunch of PCs to your router and you don’t have enough Ethernet ports, you can use a switch.
The last one you asked about is a hub, which is an obsolete version of a switch, not used anymore.
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