> On Apr 12, 2022, at 1:25 PM, Grant Taylor via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org>
> wrote:
>
> On 4/12/22 8:50 AM, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote:
>> A device that doesn't do address learning and floods unicast frames is not a
>> bridge but rather a non-standard piece hardware.
>
> I feel like a "hub" qualifies as "a device that doesn't do address learning
> and floods unicast frames".
>
> To me, the fundamental difference between a hub and a switch / bridge is
> address learning.
>
> I can't tell if your (quoted) statement is specific to /just/ bridges /
> switches or could include hubs. Your first comment addresses bridges
> directly, thus meaning that your second non-targeted comment might target
> more.
In my experience, "hub" is a vague marketing term. It might mean a backplane
into which networking modules are plugged -- the DEChub-90 and DEChub-900 are
examples. It might mean a chassis accepting networking cards that offer
repeater, bridging, or other services -- I think Chipcom and Cabletron used the
term in that fashion.
Non-learning layer 2 packet switching devices to me are hypothetical beast, I
never met one and I'm glad I didn't. Building such a thing would be a silly
thing to do in my view. So no, I don't think I would call that a "hub" because
all the "hubs" I ever ran into were something different entirely.
paul
