Hub Practical in Cisco Packet Tracer (Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners)

If you're starting your networking journey, understanding how a hub works is fundamental. In this practical guide, we’ll build a simple network using a hub in Cisco Packet Tracer and observe how communication happens between devices.

📌 What is a Hub?

A hub is a basic networking device that operates at the Physical Layer (Layer 1) of the OSI model.

👉 Key characteristics:

• Broadcasts data to all connected devices
• No intelligence (doesn’t store MAC addresses)
• Works in half-duplex mode
• Creates a single collision domain

🧪 Lab Objective

• Create a network using a hub
• Connect multiple PCs
• Configure IP addresses
• Send data from one PC to another
• Observe packet flow using simulation

🛠️ Requirements

• Cisco Packet Tracer installed
• Basic understanding of IP addressing

🔌 Step 1: Create Network Topology

1. Open Packet Tracer

2. Drag and drop:

   # Hub

   # PCs (PC0 to PC5)

3. Connect all PCs to the hub using:

   # Copper Straight-Through Cable

👉 Your topology should look like a star network with a hub at the center.

🌐 Step 2: Configure IP Addresses

Assign IP addresses manually to each PC:

📍 Path:

Click PC → Desktop → IP Configuration

👉 No default gateway needed (no router involved)

📡 Step 3: Test Connectivity

Go to PC0 → Command Prompt and run:

ping 192.168.1.6

👉 If configured correctly, you’ll receive replies.

🎬 Step 4: Enable Simulation Mode

Click Simulation Mode (bottom right)

Click Edit Filters

Click Show All / Enable All

👉 This step is critical—without enabling protocols like ARP and ICMP, packets won’t be visible.

📦 Step 5: Observe Packet Flow

Now run the ping again and click:

#. Auto Capture / Play (▶▶)

OR

#. Capture/Forward (▶)

🔍 What Happens Behind the Scenes?

1️⃣ ARP Request (Broadcast)

PC0 asks: Who has 192.168.1.6?

Hub sends this request to all PCs

2️⃣ ARP Reply

PC5 responds with its MAC address

3️⃣ ICMP (Ping)

Actual communication occurs

👉 You’ll see packets traveling across all connections due to hub behavior.

⚠️ Important Observations

• All devices receive the data (not just the destination)
• Network traffic increases unnecessarily
• Collisions may occur

❌ Limitations of Hub

• No security
• No traffic filtering
• Poor performance
• Outdated technology

🔄 Hub vs Switch (Quick Comparison)

🚀 Conclusion

This practical demonstrates how a hub blindly forwards data to all connected devices. While hubs are no longer used in modern networks, understanding them builds a strong foundation for learning switches and advanced networking concepts.