Sharing resources between computers via a physical link. The concept is not rocket science, especially if there are only two computers involved. However, with growing data traffic over a network, and multiple machines on the LAN, physical add-ons may be necessary to manage and control the data so that collisions can be avoided. Traditionally, hubs have been used to provide connections in multiple-machine networks.
Hubs provide a central connection point for each computer on the network.
A collision occurs. Although not fatal, collisions do introduce delays into the network. In smaller networks, this may not be extremely critical. In larger systems, these collisions can spell disaster. Hubs are not the best choice for large, complex networks or users who demand top performance.