The hub acts as a sharing concentration point. When a switch is installed, your computer only sees the traffic destined for itself and any broadcast traffic that needs to get to all machines. Your computer doesn't care if Mary's computer is opening a file on the server or if Phil is researching a case via the Internet. A switch would isolate that network traffic and keep it away from your computer, thereby increasing the amount of available bandwidth to you. This is a very simple explanation and network designs have several other considerations for efficient traffic movement.
Hubs are simple to install and low in cost.
Switches will cost several hundreds of dollars up to thousands, depending on port density, management capability, etc. If network performance is acceptable stay with a hub. You can always move to a switch environment in the future. 2000, Pro2Net Corporation. All Rights Reserved.