[G4] Re: Router definition and Ethernet Broadband question

[Wade Tinney]

Alex Hurst <corkflor at iol.ie> wrote:
>Forgive my ignorance, but is a router the same thing as a hub?

No.

There are hubs, switches, and routers.

Here's an analogy with road traffic:

A hub is an intersection with yield signs.

A switch is an intersection with a traffic light and street signs.

A router is an intersection with a policeman directing traffic.


Alex Hurst <corkflor at iol.ie> then wrote:
>I'm eagerly awaiting my first experience of broadband. It's been
>impossible to get it on landline where I live in Ireland, but I've at
>last found an ISP who can provide wireless broadband, and, glory be,
>has tested and found a good signal from the chimney of our house. The
>kit is installed, and I hope to get switched on tomorrow.

What you need will depend on the equipment you get with your 
broadband modem.  Some have a router built in, so all you need is a 
hub.  Some require a router if you are using more than one computer.