To understand the difference between router and switch, we need to understand the respective devices first.
Difference in Functionalities
Router is a very sophisticated network tool as compared to the switch and hubs. Router is a small box shaped through which computers get connected. Every box posse’s number of ports. These ports may be placed at the front or the back side of the box through which the computers get connected. The functioning of the device is displayed with the help of LED lights available at the box. The inner working of the routers differs completely from the switch and hubs. The routers serve as transitional destinations for network interchange.
Comparison on Speed and Performance aspects
Use of routers are made at large network protocols where as the switch is a small device which is used to join numerous computers to one local area network. The switch is also popular due to its property to inspect the receiving data packets. Different types of switches present in the market provide different number of connecting devices. The network bandwidth is well conserved by the network switch and it provides better performance than the hubs. The speed provided by the switch is faster as compared to other devices.