What happens when a packet arrives at a port on a hub?

When a packet arrives at a port on a hub, it is copied to all other ports. This behavior is characteristic of how hubs operate—they function at Layer 1 (the physical layer) of the OSI model. Hubs do not have the capability to differentiate between the devices connected to them; they simply relay incoming packets to all connected devices. This means that every device connected to the hub receives the same data sent over the network.

This method of transmission is less efficient compared to switches, which only send packets to the specific port associated with the destination device, minimizing unnecessary traffic on the network. The hub’s broadcasting nature can lead to increased network congestion as every packet is sent to all devices, regardless of whether they need to process it or not.