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Networks & The Effects of Using Them

Routers enable data to be sent between different networks. They read message information and decide the best route to send the data. Routers store IP addresses in routing tables to determine the best path for sending data packets between devices on different networks. Network interface cards connect individual devices to networks, and can be wired or wireless. Hubs send all received data to every connected device, while bridges connect two different network types by changing the message format. Switches distribute data more efficiently than hubs by using MAC addresses to identify the source and receiving device.

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74 views16 pages

Networks & The Effects of Using Them

Routers enable data to be sent between different networks. They read message information and decide the best route to send the data. Routers store IP addresses in routing tables to determine the best path for sending data packets between devices on different networks. Network interface cards connect individual devices to networks, and can be wired or wireless. Hubs send all received data to every connected device, while bridges connect two different network types by changing the message format. Switches distribute data more efficiently than hubs by using MAC addresses to identify the source and receiving device.

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iGNATIOUS
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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NETWORKS & THE EFFECTS

OF USING THEM
4.1.1 Network Devices
Routers
• A device that enables data to be sent between different
types of networks
• Commonly used to connect computers and other
network capable devices to the internet
• They can be connected to through cables or wirelessly
4.1 Routers
Function
• Makes decisions on messages being passed between
the networks
• Reads information about the message and decides
where the message should go and the best route for it
to get there
• Formats the messages making it suitable for the new
network
How it Works
• To send data to a specific device, a router needs an address
• Internet Protocol Address: a unique number assigned to all
computers and devices connected to the internet which can
determine its exact physical location
• A router can use this IP to send data from the internet to the
exact device that requested it
Storing IP Addresses:
• Routers store IP addresses in a routing table
• Routing tables list all the different routes to other networks o
Routing table determines best route for data
Sending Data between Devices
• Routers can also send ‘packets’ of data between
devices on different networks
• Each packet contains the data itself and the IP address
of the device being sent to.
• Occurs globally using multiple routers & re-routing until
the data reaches its intended IP address.
Network Interface Cards
• Used to connect individual computers/devices to a
network
• NICs come in two distinct types:
• Wired: cards that have ports which allow network
cables to be plugged in directly
• Wireless: cards that connect to networks using Wi-Fi
signals
Hubs
• They are devices that can have multiple devices
connected to them
• Main task is to receive data from different ports and
send it to each device
• The information will be received to the device whether
its relevant, or not
Hubs
Bridges
• It connects 2 different types of networks together e.g. a
bus and star network
• It can only connect networks that use the same way for
handling messages
• They do this by changing the form of message to suite
the different type of network
Bridges
Switches
• More efficient than hubs in distributing data.
• Each device has an access control media address MAC
which identifies it uniquely
• MAC Address: a number unique to each device
connected to the network (like fingerprints)
• Data sent will have a mac address which tells the
source and receiving device
Switches
Other Hardware
• Refer to book page 61
Review

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