why we can't share internet connection using switch or hub?

[965]

why we can't share internet connection using switch or hub?y we can share only files or folders through hub or switch?

[Ghost]

try to check on this

http://www.gyre.co.uk/help/broadband/con...haring.php

[alk99]

In order to share an ineternet connection you need a router to handle the assignment of internal DHCP IP addresses. As switches and Hubs do not have DHCP capabilities they do not correctly allow each computer attached to access the single external IP address from your provider. They will however as you stated allow interconnection of the attached PC's for file sharing purposes, diferentiating each pc by the individual Mac address or domain name.

[David E]

The internet connection on a modem is for one device. The modem works on layer 3 of the OSI layer model using the IP protocol. Hubs, Bridges, and switches operate at layer 2, one below the one for the modem.

To share an internet connection requires a router that can run a protocol called Network Address Translation or NAT.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSI_model

[johntrottier]

Well, some of the answers you got were technically correct, and some were just rubbish.
The simple way to answer your question is that a router is a device that is designed to share an address on one network (your ISP's) with many devices on a second network (your home network or LAN).
A switch (or hub as they insist on calling it across the pond, much to the confusion of us colonials) is a device to connect multiple machine to the same network. It cannot span networks.

So to make things simple for the average consumer, whose knowledge of networking usually starts and ends with the term "Ethernet", manufacturers have bundled several devices into one box, called a "home router", which may have some, or all of the following devices

1. A modem - to connect from one type of media (DSL) to another (Ethernet)
2. A router - to connect the home network to a providers network
3. A switch - so the consumer can connect more than one device
4. A DHCP server - so the consumber does not have to assign IP addresses
5. A radio transmitter/receiver - so you can use wireless to connect to the Internet instead of wired cables
6. A little web server and applet - to hold the setup program

All in one box - grab a time machine, take this back to the days of ARPANET and they would freak