Key component: central hub
At the centre of the network lies a piece of hardware called a hub or switch. Switches are, with this many PCs, marginally faster than hubs. This small box has sockets, or ports, into which network cables plug. Most inexpensive hubs come with three or four ports, which means that three or four PCs can connect together on the network. Tim will use two of these ports for his own PCs and has, we hope, more than one or two friends. So he needs a network hub with at least five ports. Three friends can plug into his hub and another can use one of his PCs.
