Ethernet Hub or Switch?

[DVNIEL]

I’m trying to get better cable management in our entertainment area. Due to how my wife has Comcast set up before we met, I have to deal with the way it was already configured.

Our router is the latest model AirPort Extreme. We have an Apple TV 4K, Xbox One X, Ethernet cable for occasional hard wire for our laptop and Nintendo switch. I don’t like wireless connection speeds and envision to keep one cable running to the router.

Would an Ethernet hub or switch help me keep everything neat and tidy or is this a practice in futility?

 

[FarmerBob]

Always a switch. It's the best way to "manage" connections. Managed Switches are even better.

 

[DVNIEL]

Always a switch. It's the best way to "manage" connections. Managed Switches are even better.

Thanks. Will I notice a speed degradation if more than one thing on the switch is running?

 

[Strelok]

Do they even still sell hubs? A switch is definitely what you want. Unmanaged is fine, managed just gives you more control if you need it. Unless every single device on your switch is saturating a 1gbps connection, it shouldn’t bottleneck.

 

[steve knight]

I had a nether 5 porch switch and still had a few things daisychanged. I changed a component last week and it stopped working. so I got a 8 port easier to wire everything and easier if you need to change anything out and it is only 50.00 https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Ethe...gateway&sprefix=netgear+switch,aps,218&sr=8-3

 

[Michelasso]

Thanks. Will I notice a speed degradation if more than one thing on the switch is running?

Nah. Unless you're copying files between 1 device and other 2 you shouldn't notice anything. On normal usage the first bottleneck will be your internet connection. If more devices are streaming/downloading or else from the Internet at the same time that's the channel that gets split.

Same if you have a NAS connected to the switch and more devices are reading/writing data from/to it. Like for example if two devices are streaming 2 videos from the NAS and another is copying files. The weakest link is either the 1Gbps ethernet connection to the NAS or the NAS transfer speed, whichever is slower. Still a decent NAS should give enough bandwidth for reading (streaming via SMB for example) and one stream is up to 60Mbps (out of 1000), often quite slower. All videos should play without stuttering.

In few words a 1Gbps ethernet switch for regular home usage is the last thing you'll have to worry about in terms of performances.