Final answer:
Hubs, bridges, switches, and routers are networking devices that vary in complexity and function. Hubs broadcast traffic, bridges segment networks, switches direct data, and routers connect and route between networks.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concepts of hubs, bridges, switches, and routers are integral to understanding how networks operate. A hub is a basic networking device that connects multiple computers or other network devices together.
Unlike a hub, a bridge is used to segment a network into separate collision domains. A switch is similar to a bridge but with more capability; it can learn the MAC addresses of devices and forward data to the correct device only.
Lastly, a router is used to connect multiple networks together and routes traffic between them based on IP addresses.
Hub
A hub operates at the physical layer of the OSI model and broadcasts all network traffic to every device in the network.
Bridge
A bridge operates at the data link layer and is used to divide a network to reduce collision domains.
Switch
A switch operates at the data link layer as well but can increase network efficiency by sending data only to the destination device.
Router
A router operates at the network layer and is responsible for forwarding data packets from one network to another using IP addresses.