Which device is less likely to experience collisions due to its message handling capabilities?

A switch is less likely to experience collisions due to its message handling capabilities because it operates at the data link layer of the OSI model and uses a method called "frame switching." Unlike a hub, which broadcasts incoming data packets to all connected devices, a switch intelligently directs data packets only to the specific device for which the data is intended.

Each port on a switch operates on a separate collision domain, which means that devices connected to different ports can communicate simultaneously without causing collisions. This ability to maintain separate collision domains drastically reduces the likelihood of packet collisions, leading to more efficient network performance.

In contrast, devices like hubs create a single collision domain for all connected devices, meaning any data transmission could potentially collide with another, resulting in inefficiencies. While routers and firewalls also contribute to managing network traffic, they generally operate at higher layers of the OSI model and are not primarily focused on collision avoidance in local area network scenarios as switches are.