Hub | Switch | Router | |
Function | Connects devices within a LAN in a simple broadcast manner | Connects devices within a LAN | Connects networks and allows devices to communicate across them |
OSI layer | Layer 1 (physical) | Layer 2 (data-link) | Layer 3 (network) |
Data transmission | Unicast and multicast | Unicast and multicast | Broadcast |
Addressing | None | MAC addresses, switch table | IP addresses, routing tables |
Cost | Low | Moderate | High |