Re: Need a metaphor for routing

On 30 Mar 2006 06:01:23 -0800, "Christopher Nelson"
<cnelson@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I have to explain the difference between hubs, switches, and routers to
a audience with weak networking backgrounds so I need some simple (if
slightly inaccurate) analogies or metaphors. I'm considering the
following:

A hub is like a PA system what goes in is broadcast to all the outputs
(in the mike and out the speakers, in one port and out all others).

A switch is like a telephone switch board: it establishes
point-to-point connections (albeit you dial a phone and a switch
learns, but I'm not too concerned about that detail)

But how do I describe a router?

That would be your operator at the switchboard.
Take an incomming call and decide:
- if the destination is local, connect it to the extension
- if the destination is remote, patch it through,
- if the destination is unknown, refuse the call

--
Kind regards,
Gerard Bok
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Experts Help Please Settle Arguement - Hub or Switch if ISP offers several IPs
    ... you don't use a switch in this kind of arrangement. ... >Switches an algorithim for routing packets at Layer 2. ... >response is sent back to the hub from the right destination node. ... Note that I show an 8 port hub in the top drawing instead of a switch. ...
    (alt.internet.wireless)
  • Re: can an access point connect through an access point?
    ... >> A switch or hub is simply a connection point on a single network. ... >> bridging or routing is involved. ... > destined for the local destination? ...
    (Fedora)
  • Re: Need a metaphor for routing
    ... slightly inaccurate) analogies or metaphors. ... A switch is like a telephone switch board: ... if the destination is local, ...
    (comp.dcom.lans.ethernet)
  • Experts Help Please Settle Arguement - Hub or Switch if ISP offers several IPs
    ... you don't use a switch in this kind of arrangement. ... Switches break the network into segments but hubs broadcast to everyone ... Switches an algorithim for routing packets at Layer 2. ... When the switch realizes User A was the wrong destination, ...
    (alt.internet.wireless)
  • Re: [SLE] rsync syntax help
    ... Dave Howorth wrote: ... -z doesn't make sense in the application you suggest, since both source and destination are "local" ... Would I put the -n option in as another switch so that rsync would do all the other switches but only 'play play' ie not actually move data? ...
    (SuSE)