The only difference is, when you connect your PC to a hub (instead of linking it directly with another computer) you can hook up with more computers. the speed will ofcourse lower a bit, but you won't even notice it.
A crossover cable is used to connect a Hub or Switch to another Hub or Switch - or a PC to another PC.
Straight Cable is used to connect a device to a different type of devices Eg: PC to a Switch PC to a Hub Switch to a Router E.t.c. Cross Cable is used to connect a device to a similar type of devices Eg: PC to PC Switch to Switch E.t.c.
A router allows communication between two different networks. A hub just links devices in a network.
It looks like you have problems with ip addressing. Make sure that both printers have different ip addresses and both ip address are in the same subnetwork as your PC and the laptop.
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A hub or switch must be used to connect 3 PCs together. Two PCs can be connected using a single crossover cable.
network hub
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A hub is a layer 1 network device (hardware), and the 'web' is a software concept implemented by different protocols and multiple devices.
It depends on the type of hub. Most connectors can be used on both a PC and Mac, as long as there is a port for it. Be sure to read the system requirements before making a purchase.
| modem | wireless router - - - wireless PC ... | | | +-------------------- wired PC ... | hub ------------------- wired PC \------------------------ wired PC ... Routers have extra ports for wired PC but if you need more you need to have a hub. A hub though uses a cross-over cable to the router all the rest uses a regular network cable. All PCs of the network must point to the router's IP address as the default gateway and the network connection is allowed in their respective firewalls if any.