When [googling “ethernet splitter”](https://www.google.com/search?q=ethernet+splitter&tbm=isch) intuition immediately tells that you can have one input (where the cable coming from the router enters) which can be split to 2 computers at the other end.
However, this is not how it works:
>To use splitters, you’ll need two: one to connect your two devices, and another at the other end to “unsplit” the connection. This means you’ll still be using the same number of Ethernet ports on your router as if you were using two separate cables. You don’t add any Ethernet ports by using a splitter, you simply share a single cable.
(source [https://www.howtogeek.com/797864/ethernet-splitter-vs.-switch-whats-the-difference/](https://www.howtogeek.com/797864/ethernet-splitter-vs.-switch-whats-the-difference/))
**QUESTION**: why isn’t the signal simply **split** ? What is it that a switch does differently ?
In: 1
Ethernet is point to point. A cable has 4 twisted pairs – 8 wires.
In connections less than 1GbE only 2 pairs – 4 wires are used. 2 wires for sending, 2 for receiving.
The splitters let you utilize the 4 unused wires on the cable, but still need a dedicated port to connect to.
1GbE uses all 8 wires and as such you couldn’t successfully use a splitter.
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