Switches
On the surface, a switch looks much like a hub, although the price tag might be a giveaway—switches are considerably more expensive than hubs. The main reason for the price disparity is that switches can do much more and offer many more advantages than hubs. Figure 3.4 shows an example of a 32-port Ethernet switch. If you refer to Figure 3.2, you'll notice few differences in the appearance of the high-density hub and this switch.
Figure 3.4. A 32-port Ethernet switch. (Photo courtesy TRENDware International, www.trendware.com.)
As with a hub, computers connect to a switch via a length of twisted-pair cable. Multiple switches can be used, ...
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