The First Hub, Switch, and Router: Networking Then vs. Now
In today’s digital age, network devices like switches, hubs, and routers are so common that they’re practically invisible. But who made the first ones? And how fast were they compared to the lightning speeds we use today?
Let’s explore the origin of these devices, their speeds, and a comparison to today’s standards.
🔌 First Ethernet Hub
Brand: 3Com Corporation
Product: 3Com EtherLink Hub (mid to late 1980s)
Speed: 10 Mbps (Ethernet)
Ports: 4 to 16 ports
Connection Type: Coaxial or Twisted Pair (10BASE-T or 10BASE2)
🔹 Hubs were basic signal repeaters. Every packet was broadcast to all ports, causing network collisions and limiting speed in busy environments.
🔁 First Network Switch
Brand: Kalpana Inc.
Product: Kalpana EtherSwitch (launched in 1990)
Speed: 10 Mbps per port (early Ethernet switching)
Ports: 8–12 ports
Key Feature: First to implement packet switching, reducing collisions and improving performance over hubs.
🧠 Fun fact: Kalpana’s technology was so groundbreaking that Cisco acquired them in 1994 to integrate switching into their enterprise solutions.
🌐 First Router
Brand: Xerox PARC / Stanford / Cisco Systems
Product: Early prototypes at Stanford University, leading to Cisco’s AGS Router in 1986
Speed: 56 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps (T1 Line)
Purpose: Originally designed to route data between ARPANET nodes—the early Internet.
🔹 Routers were developed to handle packet routing between networks, using IP addressing and intelligent forwarding—not just local switching.
🚀 Then vs. Now: Network Device Comparison
| Device Type | First Brand & Year | Original Speed | Today’s Speed | Today’s Brand Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hub | 3Com (1980s) | 10 Mbps | Obsolete (replaced by switches) | N/A |
| Switch | Kalpana (1990) | 10 Mbps | 1–10 Gbps (or higher in data centers) | Cisco, Netgear, Aruba, Juniper |
| Router | Cisco (1986) | ~56 Kbps–1.5 Mbps | 1–10 Gbps+ | Cisco, MikroTik, Juniper, Ubiquiti |
📈 Why This Evolution Matters
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Hubs are no longer used because they lack intelligence and flood all ports with data.
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Switches revolutionized local networking by sending data only where needed—reducing traffic and increasing speeds.
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Routers evolved to handle firewalls, VPNs, NAT, and internet routing—from dial-up to multi-gigabit fiber internet.
Today, smart switches and enterprise routers handle cloud traffic, load balancing, VLANs, QoS, and much more—far beyond the capabilities of their early ancestors.
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