Hubs

Hubs are central points that connect and distribute traffic, information, or services within a system. The term is used across fields such as information technology, transportation, and data management to denote a location or device that consolidates connections and channels flow toward multiple destinations.

In computer networking, a hub is a device that connects multiple Ethernet devices to form a single network segment. It operates at the physical layer and broadcasts an incoming signal to all ports, creating a shared collision domain. Hubs are simple and inexpensive but offer limited bandwidth, no traffic routing or filtering, and reduced security. With modern networks, bridges and switches have largely replaced hubs, while USB hubs extend host connectivity rather than network access.

In transportation and logistics, a hub is a central location where passengers or goods are transferred or consolidated. Airports, seaports, and railway yards commonly serve as hubs in hub-and-spoke systems, enabling economies of scale and centralized scheduling. Effective hubs coordinate intermodal connections and capacity, but they can also become single points of failure and may incur higher congestion if demand is uneven.

In data management, a data hub is a centralized platform that aggregates data from multiple sources to provide shared access for users and applications. Data hubs support data integration, governance, and metadata management, and are often contrasted with data warehouses and data lakes that have different storage and processing models.

In other contexts, hub concepts include graph-theoretic hubs, which are highly connected nodes, and urban or organizational hubs that function as service or activity centers within a region.