Hub (Computing)

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What Does Hub (Computing) Mean?

A hub is the connection point in a computer device where data from many directions converge and are then sent out in many directions to respective devices. A hub may also act as a switch by preventing specific data packets from proceeding to a destination.

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Techopedia Explains Hub (Computing)

In addition to receiving and transmitting communication data, a hub may also server as a switch. For example, an airport acts much like a hub in the sense that passengers converge there and head out in many different directions. Suppose that an airline passenger arrives at the airport hub and is then called back home unexpectedly, or receives instructions to change his or her destination. The same may occur with a computing hub when it acts as a switch by preventing specific data packets from proceeding to a destination, while sending other data packets on a specific route. Where packets are sent depends on attributes (MAC addresses) within the data packets. A switch may also act as a hub.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.