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What are network devices?
Network devices are physical devices that allow hardware on a computer network to interact and
communicate with one another.
Types of Network Devices
• Hub
• Switch
• Router
• Bridge
• Gateway
• Modem
• Repeater
• Access Point
NIC
A network interface card (NIC) is a hardware component without which a computer cannot be
connected over a network. It is a circuit board installed in a computer that provides a dedicated
network connection to the computer. It is also called network interface controller, network adapter
or LAN adapter.
Types of Network Interface Card:
Wireless: These are NICs that use an antenna to provide wireless reception through radio
frequency waves.
Wired: These are NICs that have input jacks made for cables.
USB: These are NICs that provide network connections through a device plugged into the USB
port.
1000Base-T: 1000BASE-T is Gigabit Ethernet -- 1 gigabit is 1,000 megabits per second (Mbps)
on copper cables, using four pairs of Category 5 (Cat5) unshielded twisted pair (UTP) to achieve
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the gigabit data rate. 1000BASE-T can be used in data centers for server interconnects or network
switch uplinks or be used directly with the desktop.
Fiber Optic NIC: card use 32/64-bit PCI bus network interface card, the establishment of the PC
or the connection between the server and the switch, to solve the bottleneck problem of the Intranet
server NIC mode fiber optic transmission media interface, 32/64bit/66MHz’s
MAC Address
MAC Addresses are unique 48-bits hardware number of a computer, which is embedded into a
network card (known as a Network Interface Card) during the time of manufacturing. MAC
Address is also known as the Physical Address of a network device.
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Network Device Icons
Repeater
A repeater is a network device used to regenerate a signal. Repeaters regenerate analog or digital
signals distorted by transmission loss due to attenuation. A repeater does not perform intelligent
routing.
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Hub
Hubs concentrate connections. In other words, they take a group of hosts and allow the network
to see them as a single unit. This is done passively, without any other effect on the data
transmission. Active hubs not only concentrate hosts, but they also regenerate signals.
Bridge
Bridges convert network transmission data formats as well as perform basic data transmission
management. Bridges, as the name implies, provide connections between LANs. Not only do
bridges connect LANs, but they also perform a check on the data to determine whether it should
cross the bridge or not. This makes each part of the network more efficient.
Switch
Switches are Data Link layer devices. Each Switch port has a unique MAC address. Connected
host MAC addresses are learned and stored on a MAC address table.
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Workgroup Switch
Workgroup switches add more intelligence to data transfer management. Switches can determine
whether data should remain on a LAN or not, and they can transfer the data to the connection that
needs that data.
Types of Switch:
• KVM Switch.
• Managed Switch.
• Unmanaged Switch.
• Smart Switch.
• PoE Switch
KVM Switch
A KVM switch is an ideal interface for a single user that needs to control the functions of multiple
computers from a single console. These devices can often be programmed with keyboard hotkeys
that let you easily switch between PCs. With the addition of a KVM extender, the reach of the
switch can be extended several hundred feet by transmitting DVI, VGA or HDMI video signals.
This configuration allows for local and remote access to the machines. A complete KVM solution
lets you easily centralize server maintenance and management.
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Managed Switch
A managed network switch is a technology that allows Ethernet devices to communicate with each
other and that contains features to configure, manage and monitor traffic on a Local Area Network
(LAN). A managed network switch provides more control over how data travels over the network
and who can access it.
Unmanaged Switch
Unmanaged switches are plug and play devices without the need of a complex setup. These
switches allow Ethernet devices to communicate with one another (such as a PC or network
printer) by providing a connection to the network and passing on information to where it needs to
go.
Smart Switch
Smart or intelligent switches are among the most popular alternatives for managing mid-sized
networks. They provide access to switch administration functions like port monitoring, link
aggregation, and VPN via a simple Web interface that includes an embedded Web browser.
PoE Switch
Power over Ethernet (PoE) is a technology that allows network switches to transmit both power
and data through an Ethernet cable simultaneously.
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Working of a Switch
A network switch works at the data link Layer 2 of the architecture of Open Systems
Interconnection (OSI). It accepts packets from access points linked to physical ports and then
sends them only via the ports going to a destination device. These could also function where
routing occurs at the network Layer 3.
Connecting to Ethernet Segment:
Layer 2 Ethernet ports on Cisco switches support simultaneous, parallel connections between
Layer 2 Ethernet segments. Switched connections between Ethernet segments last only for the
duration of the packet. New connections can be made between different segments for the next
packet. Cisco switches that support Layer 2 Ethernet ports solve congestion problems caused by
high-bandwidth devices and by a large number of users by assigning each device (for example, a
server) to its own 10-, 100-, or 1000-Mbps collision domain. Because each LAN port connects to
a separate Ethernet collision domain, servers in a properly configured switched environment
achieve full access to the bandwidth.
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Multi-Speed Switch
Multi-gigabit Ethernet paves the way for high-speed Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 access points, as well
as IoT devices, by delivering blazing fast performance and PoE support over existing cabling.
Using existing CAT5e and CAT6 twisted pair wiring, multi-gigabit Ethernet saves the expense
and reduces the complexity of a new cabling infrastructure.
Introduction to Routers
A router is a special type of computer. It has the same basic components as a standard desktop PC.
However, routers are designed to perform some very specific functions. Just as computers need
operating systems to run software applications, routers need the Internetwork Operating System
software (IOS) to run configuration files. These configuration files contain the instructions and
parameters that control the flow of traffic in and out of the routers. The many parts of a router are
shown below:
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Features of Router
A router is a layer 3 or network layer device.
It connects different networks together and sends data packets from one network to
another.
A router can be used both in LANs (Local Area Networks) and WANs (Wide Area
Networks).
It transfers data in the form of IP packets. In order to transmit data, it uses IP address
mentioned in the destination field of the IP packet.
Routers have a routing table in it that is refreshed periodically according to the changes in
the network. In order to transmit data packets, it consults the table and uses a routing
protocol.
In order to prepare or refresh the routing table, routers share information among each other.
Routers provide protection against broadcast storms.
Routers are more expensive than other networking devices like hubs, bridges and switches.
Routers are manufactured by some popular companies like −
Cisco
D-Link
HP
3Com
Juniper
Nortel
Gateway
A computer that sits between different networks or applications. The gateway converts
information, data or other communications from one protocol or format to another. A router may
perform some of the functions of a gateway.
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Modem
Modem stands for Modulation Demodulation. A modem converts the digital data signals into
analogue data signals. They can be installed within the computer in a development slot applicable
for it.
There are frequently two types of Modems that are as follows −
Standard Modem
The standard modems use generic device drivers, and they can be internal and external ones. The
internal modems do not need much physical structure. They can be installed into a compatible
development slot. The external modem is connected through one of the COM port to the computer
through a cable called a null-modem cable.
Window Modem
A window modem is a private plug and plays tool. It requires a particular device driver supported
by the window operating framework to function correctly.
Features of Modems
The main features of modems are as follows −
They have high uploading and communication rates. An X2 modem provides an uploading
bandwidth between 28.8 to 56 Kbps.
They are upgradeable through a software patch to meet almost any universal standard.
They enable high-speed downstream data transfers by digitally encoding all downstream
data while upstream runs at conventional rates of 33.6 kbps.
Some modems incorporate dual simultaneous voice and Data (DSVD), i.e., they can carry
both analog voices and computer data.
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They can detect callers originating telephone number, and thus they can serve as caller ID.
Some modems provide advanced voice mail features, and those modems serve as
intelligent, answering machines or digital information systems.
Firewall
A Firewall is a network security device that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing network
traffic based on an organization’s previously established security policies. At its most basic, a
firewall is essentially the barrier that sits between a private internal network and the public
Internet. A firewall’s main purpose is to allow non-threatening traffic in and to keep dangerous
traffic out.
Access Point
An access point (AP) is a term used for a network device that bridges wired and wireless networks.
Consumer APs are often called a “wireless routers” because they typically also serve as both internet
routers and firewalls. Commercial and industrial APs tend towards minimal network routing
capabilities and rarely have firewalls.
Most APs connect wireless networks using the Wi-Fi standard; however, modern commercial and
industrial APs increasingly offer support for the Bluetooth and Thread wireless standards, as well. This
allows commercial and industrial APs to support both human-centric and Internet of Things (IoT)
devices.
The differences between consumer APs and commercial or industrial APs is easily explained by
network scale. A consumer AP is typically designed to be the only piece of network infrastructure in a
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home. It must connect the home network to the internet, provide basic information security defenses,
and support perhaps a dozen networking devices.
Baseband Frequency:
Baseband is the transmission of a signal in its original, unmodulated form. A baseband signal can
be analog (e.g., originating from a telephone) or digital (e.g., originating from a computer). It is a
signal at a very narrow frequency range on which data or information is superimposed and then
transmitted. It is also called a lowpass signal since it can include near-zero frequencies. In this
sense, a sound waveform is considered as a baseband while radio signals often rated in the
megahertz levels are not considered baseband.
Broadband
Broadband refers to various high-capacity transmission technologies that transmit data, voice, and
video across long distances and at high speeds. Common mediums of transmission include coaxial
cables, fiber optic cables, and radio waves.
Leased Line
A leased line is a dedicated data connection with a fixed bandwidth. It enables small, medium, and
large businesses to connect to the internet in a secure, reliable, and highly efficient manner, with
maximum download capacity, resilience, and uptime.
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ISDN
ISDN or Integrated Services Digital Network is a circuit-switched telephone network system
that transmits both data and voice over a digital line. You can also think of it as a set of
communication standards to transmit data, voice, and signaling. These digital lines could be
copper lines.
DSL
DSL utilizes old copper telephone lines to transfer digital data, including internet downloads and
uploads and VoIP calls, together with conventional phone signals. It runs at different frequencies
than phone signals, but dial-up internet inhibits phone signals from utilizing the connection.
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ADSL
ADSL is a popular, older type of broadband, with the term standing for Asymmetric Digital
Subscriber Line. It is a broadband connection that works through the copper wires of existing
phone lines and is mainly used for home broadband and within small businesses. To set-up an
ADSL broadband connection, an existing phone system is connected to the BT line through copper
wires. During installation, a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) filter, or splitter, isolates frequency
bands allowing a single line to be used for both telephone calls and ADSL broadband.
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