Small ethernet hub question

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echonite

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Mar 16, 2009
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I need passive ethernet hub. Yes, a hub, not a switch, and it needs to be passive. If it cant meet this requirement, it is useless to me. I'm not looking for an ethernet tap, I need a 100% passive and independent hub.

Question: How exactly are they made? Information on their exact make-up is sparse. I need one with at least 3 ports to allow me to temporarily get a wired connection at various locations where there is and can only be one cable back to the patch panel and/or distribution switch.

Since being able to buy a hub is practically out of the question, I was trying to see about making one. Am I right in thinking its just a matter of linking all the pin 1s together and all the pin 2s together, etc? Do they need to be done like a crossover?

Thanks for your time.
 
At a physical level hubs and switches are the same. They only allow 2 devices on each cable. For 10/100 they only 1 device on each pair to be a transmitter...hence the need for cross cables in the past. The part where they differ is a switch takes the complete packet into a buffer and then only transmits it out a limited number of ports. A hub does it more at the bit level and send it out all ports. The hub though still in a way takes the bits into a buffer...it is not just the wires connected together. Even a hub is a active device and will not operate without power. You can not just connect wires together and get anything that will work.
 
I know how switches work. And yes, passive hubs are possible otherwise the principal of ethernet taps wouldn't work. I'm not looking to propagate a signal, I just need to get a temporary connection point. Basically I want an Ethernet tap, but with the ability to send as well. I know it can be done, I just need information on how to make it. If its not a matter of connecting all the wires, then what is it?

I am not worried about collisions as there will be only 2 devices on the same switch port, and thanks to CSMA/CD, it will managed for my needs. I am not planning on using this in busy sections of a network.
 

That would work, but I still need a hub, which is half my problem.


Thank you genius, like I haven't been searching already. If it were that simple, I wouldn't be here asking for help, which you are not doing. The vast majority of the results are for taps and/or vague diagrams that mean nothing to me. Now if I missed a helpful link in those results, then perhaps you could post that instead of a giant<mod edit> <watch your language>?

I am willing to learn what i need to to make such a device, but relevant information is difficult to find.
 
I suggest that you tone it down. Telling a moderator to **** off is a fast track to some "vacation time". The link I provided gives you everything you need to know to build the hub you want. Seems to me that's what you are looking for. If that's not sufficient then you'll just have to do without.
 
It was very relevant for me 1 hour ago.
The purpose of the answer is to give the answer for the next searcher and to poke on
"just google it" people.
If you really want to say "just google it" - you may do it, but on with giving the answer. It only messes the search engine results otherwise.
 
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1000 CAN'T be a hub. Because 1000 doesn't support 1/2 duplex. So 1000 will only work with a switch.
So, can not be done without 1/2 duplex? The idea in itself looks pretty simple: connect everything together and lets software collision detection handle collisions. I just do not know how not to fry clients in process
 
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