Use a internet hub or a switch?

[msazone]

I am using a wifi extender to connect to the Arlo base. However, I have another hue hub needs to connect to the same extender. I now use a internet hub to connect both devices. My question is, should I use a interent switch instead of this internet hub? A hub only supports up to 10Mbps. I know Arlo's requirement is 1Mbps for upstream. I think hue doesn't need too much benwidth also. Should I upgrade the hub to a switch? Thank you.

[jguerdat]

I'd try the hub first since you already have it. A switch doesn't cost much, though, so upgrading won't kill the budget much. The only real issue is multiple devices streaming at the same time.

[MikeBravo]

Throw the hub away. Giagbit switches are dirt cheap.

[msazone · Accepted solution]

I think I can answer my question. I found the bandwidth requirements. Fot the best video, it only needs less than 1Mbps and there is no communication between the 2 devices. A hub should take care my situation fine.

[MikeBravo]

---

msazone wrote:

I think I can answer my question. I found the bandwidth requirements. Fot the best video, it only needs less than 1Mbps and there is no communication between the 2 devices. A hub should take care my situation fine.

---

Ok, but if I follow you you have an extender a hub (10 Mbps) connecting through another hub (10 Mbps) and that the base communicates through the hub, right: In that case the base has to communicate through the hub and it being a hub, it can old talk one way at a time as oppossed to  a switch which has simultaneous  communication.

So, in a perfect world all 10 Mbps in each hub is available and not subject to the electronic imperfections of the equipment and transmissions which in the real world doesn't happen and also there is a lag no matter how minor between the base through  the hub and the Internet.

That is if I understand you  correctly. In that case, four port switches are dirt cheap and not subject to the issues of your case.

[msazone]

Sorry I might not explain well before. I have a wifi extender that uplinks to a internet hub. There are 2 devices connect to the hub. One is the Arlo base another is a hue hub(not an internet hub).

The Arlo base does not need to talk with the Hue hub. Hue should be totoally fine since it's just the smart lighting system. I worried about Arlo because of the video. However, according to the sheet, it should not be an issue by using a hub.

[MikeBravo]

---

msazone wrote:

Sorry I might not explain well before. I have a wifi extender that uplinks to a internet hub. There are 2 devices connect to the hub. One is the Arlo base another is a hue hub(not an internet hub).

The Arlo base does not need to talk with the Hue hub. Hue should be totoally fine since it's just the smart lighting system. I worried about Arlo because of the video. However, according to the sheet, it should not be an issue by using a hub.

---

I understand better. 

My only point was that the Arlo base has to talk through the hub which only talks in one direction at a time as opposed to a switch which  transmits and receives simultaneouly so that your Arlo base interposed between the cameras and the Internet always has to wait even if its only marginally to finish its business with a camera with the hub while with the switch it can both transmit and recieve simultaneously avoiding to wait at all.

However, if isn't broke you're right you don't have to fix it. 

[msazone]

Thank you for the suggestion.

I think the one direction you mean is for the wifi part since the shared frequency. The hub now just receive data then forward to all ports to the targets then recive the data from the targets then forward to other ports again. Since the data is not huge and there are only 2 devices connect to the hub, so that's why I have no issue so far.

[MikeBravo]

---

msazone wrote:

Thank you for the suggestion.

I think the one direction you mean is for the wifi part since the shared frequency. The hub now just receive data then forward to all ports to the targets then recive the data from the targets then forward to other ports again. Since the data is not huge and there are only 2 devices connect to the hub, so that's why I have no issue so far.

---

Which is what I meant by if it isn't broken don't fix it. All I was referring to was that a hub is forwarding and recieving one step at a time back and forth while a switch does it all at once simultaneously which is even better.