Ethernet hubs and Switches

Hubs
10Mbps Ethernet Hub
An 10Mbps Ethernet hub is a small box into which Ethernet cables are plugged. Using an Ethernet hub allows two or more computers to talk to each other at 10Mbps. 10 Mbps hubs are now obsolete because faster, more versatile 10/100 hubs are so inexpensive.

If an Ethernet hub is not marked 10/100, it is a basic 10Mbps hub.

10/100 Ethernet Hub

A 10/100 mbps is a good choice these days for basic networks. This kind of hub will allow you to hook up 10Mbps and 100Mbps devices and network cards on the same network. Furthermore, even if the devices communicate at different speeds, the hub will allow them to talk.

10/100 Ethernet Hubs are only half duplex - each client can only send OR receive data at a particular time. To take full advantage of your 10/100 Ethernet cards, look into an Ethernet Switch. A switch can operate at full duplex allowing your computers to send and receive at the same time.

Switches
A 10/100 Ethernet switch can be considered a faster version of a 10/100 Ethernet hub.

Ethernet switches allow your Ethernet cards to operate in Full Duplex mode instead of Half Duplex. Full Duplex means that you can be sending and receiving data at the same time. Switches also route traffic directly between ports instead of broadcasting traffic across all ports. This basically means that each port on a switch gets dedicated bandwidth instead of shared bandwidth. When transferring large files between multiple computers, this can make a big difference in how well your lan operates.

Unmanaged vs Managed

Manages hubs are usually not for the home. They have special networking computers built into them that do all sorts of things you will probably never need in your home or small office environment. They are also very expensive.

Unmanaged hubs and switches are simple devices that let your Ethernet devices talk to each other.