Home > IT Answers > Networking > What is a hub and spoke network?
Yasir Irfan
5,395 pts.
 What is a hub and spoke network?
Hub and Spoke, Network Configuration, Network Topology, Networks, Routers
Hello,

I just want to know what is a hub and spoke network and where it is implemented generally with some examples?

Software/Hardware used:
Cisco 2620 Router, Cisco 1800 Router, Cisco 3745 Routers
ASKED: February 3, 2010  9:30 AM
UPDATED: April 18, 2013  6:07 PM
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Hub and spoke in regards to the CCNA, is probably describing a common Frame Relay/WAN network setup. Say you had 6 seperate sites you had to connect. It would take 15 circuits to have full connectivity between them as a full mesh, and it gets worse with the more sites you have. Hub and Spoke is taking 1 site, and connecting all sites to it, to trasit that site to get to each other. This way, 6 sites can have fully connectivity with only 5 circuits. So say you have sites A,B,C,D,E and F, with site A as the hub and B,C,D,E,F as the spoke would connect to site A, and use site A to get to each other. You can say partial mash network as a hub and spoke network.
Last Wiki Answer Submitted:  April 18, 2013  6:07 pm  by  Michael Tidmarsh   11,410 pts.
All Answer Wiki Contributors:  Michael Tidmarsh   11,410 pts. , Jadu   50 pts. , XENOPHON22   2,325 pts.
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A hub and spoke network is precisely what it infers. The router hardware is not particularly significant.
In a hub & spoke design, there is a network core router or routers. That is the hub. There are multiple remote or local LANs that connect to the core routers via LAN or WAN links. These are called spokes. The “Hub & Spoke” or “Wagon Wheel” design is not new and not unusual. In fact, this design is implemented almost everywhere you look. An alternative design would be a “mesh” network where all points are interconnected with many other points on the network. Mesh networks are very expensive. A hybrid design usually is that of a Hub & Spoke design with redundant spokes that may reach the hub via an alternate route for resiliency. The hub typically houses the enterprise applications required by the business. Multiple Hub & Spoke networks, interconnected by high speed spokes are common and are found in larger enterprise networks. A white board would be extremely helpful here.

For examples of hub & spoke networks, see my presentation entitled ‘IBM IT Architect Engagements‘ at http://www.linkedin.com/in/timloftus <View Full Profile> and the page header “OSPF Design Summary” (slide 12) and “University Campus Conceptual Design” (slide 16).

Tloftus2009
 60 pts.
 

thanks gentleman for the info. Its pretty useful

Yasir Irfan
 5,395 pts.
 

describe with the help of figure hub and spoke

Samyak1985
 15 pts.
 

Hub and Spoke is commonly used in WAN connection using FR/ATM/X.25 [NBMA] that describe as one of network topology which has one site functions or acts as a hub and others site as spoke.

for example, if we have 4 sites that we want to interconnect.
Using star topology, you will need 3 links/circuits.
Using ring topology, you will need 4 links/circuits.
Using meshed topology, you will need 6 links/circuits.

As In star topology, all remote site should go to central site first before they can communicate with other remote site.
In hub and spoke, all spoke site should go to hub site first before they can communicate with other spoke site.
Are they the same?
Confused?
I suggest hub/spoke is special condition of star network topology.
A star topology and hub/spoke topology is the same topology, if you use circuit switch communication like leased line, satellite SCPC, Modem dial up PPP etc. for example.
It will be different however, if you use the packet switch communication line FR/ATM/X.25 [NBMA] … and here the term hub/spoke is commonly used.

When you use FR/ATM/X.25, In central site or hub station, you will only need one CSU/DSU [modem/router] to connect to all other three spoke site / remote site.
however When you use leased line, In central site or hub station, you need three CSUs/DSUs [modem/router] to connect to all other three spoke site / remote site, each CSUs/DSUs [modem/router] for each remote site/spoke site.

I hope it is easily understood.

Maswawan
 155 pts.