What's the difference between a hub, a switch, and a router?

Well Explained and informative, even i found this link helpful..
http://computerkorner.blogspot.com/2011/12/understanding-hub-switch-and-routers.html

Absolutely, excellent description!

Thanks for the excellent explanation.
Question - Does this mean that if I had a broadband router connected between my laptop and a hotel network cable, that I would be then be behind a firewall and therefore "safe"?

@HB
If by safe, you mean that the hotel can't sniff out your info, then no. After the router all of your information would be open to whoever can hack into the hotel's network. Your best protection would be using a VPN or only accessing sites which use SSL encryption.
If you mean safe from hackers accessing your computer, then, yes.
How does a VPN protect me?

Thx for the reply. I was thinking hackers.

Can I daisy chain a router? My hub has no more room and I have an extra Linksys router. The main router is the same make and model.

You can, but it can sometimes introduce problems - most commonly machines on one side of the 2nd router cannot "see" machines on the other. It'd be better to get a switch with more capacity.

05-Jan-2012

This Leo has just come in perfect for me. I do voluntary work for a charity helping network the building. We've a Belkin play 600n and the DHCP part I looked at the last time I was there. I wanted to give the Hp printer a static ip address. I realised that each time the printer was switched on a different ip address was given by the DHCP server. At 1st we'd got the printer hooked up to the usb port on the back of the router. We then deadicated a pc as a server to increase the speed of printing (mainly for Coral draw), also to stop people from having to ask for the printer back. It worked brilliently until the printer was switched off. Thats then when I looked at the DHCP to give the printer a static ip address. I tried all the other PC's to make sure they could serch the net, see the printer and the 3TB HHD, I switched everything on and off, printer, router, PC's and server. All worked fine and then yesterday one person couldn't get on the net and then another. At 1st I thought it was something I'd done. We've now found out even though we turned down a free router from BT telling them that we're getting a belkin router. They said nothing until yesterday that Belkin router's conflict with BT. This has angered us somewhat. Reading your articles help me a great deal and reading this article has made me feel a whole lot better and more confident about what I'm doing before contacting BT this morning. I thank you sir and your continued articles.

Thanks. This explain routers and their working method and the initals that so many "more experienced" computerers know and use so easily and the we folk like me have to think about and research to understand. I really like your articles. Thanks.
Jackie

Very apt and good explanation... Thanks

Well explained...You covered a good aspect of these 3 devices.I think, a brief note on broadcast and collision domains will still improve this description.
Still a good one...........GOOD WORK....