Chapter Three: Computer Networking Devices

Table of Contents
Chapter Three: Computer Networking Devices.........................................................................................1
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................1
Types of Network Devices....................................................................................................................1
Network Hub....................................................................................................................................2
Active Hub...................................................................................................................................2
Passive Hub..................................................................................................................................2
Network Switch................................................................................................................................3
Modem..............................................................................................................................................3
Network Router................................................................................................................................4
Types of routers............................................................................................................................5
Bridge...............................................................................................................................................5
Types of Bridges..........................................................................................................................6
Repeater............................................................................................................................................6
Gateway............................................................................................................................................6
Brouter..............................................................................................................................................7
Hub and Switch Cabling........................................................................................................................7
Medium Dependent Interface-Crossed (MDI-X).............................................................................7
Medium Dependent Interface (MDI) port........................................................................................7

Introduction
• Networking devices are devices which are used for communication between different
hardware’s used in the computer network are known as network devices.
• These devices are also known as physical devices, networking hardware, and network
equipment otherwise computer networking devices. In a computer network, each network
device plays a key role based on their functionality, and also works for different purposes at
different segments.

Types of Network Devices

There are different types of network devices used in a computer network which include the following.
• Network Hub
• Network Switch
• Modem
• Network Router
• Bridge
• Repeater

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Network Hub
• The network hub is one kind of networking device in a computer network, used to communicate
with various network hosts and also for data transferring.
• The transferring of data in a computer network can be done in the form of packets.
• Whenever the data processing can be done from a host to a network hub, then the data can
transmit to all the connected ports.
• Similarly, all the ports identify the data path which leads to inefficiencies & wastage. Because
of this working, a network hub cannot be so safe and secure.
• In addition, copying the data packets on all the ports will make the hub slower which leads to
the utilize of the network switch.
• Network hubs are classified into two types like active hub & passive hub.

Active Hub
• These hubs have their own power supply and these hubs are used to clean, increase & transmit
the signal using the network.
• It works as a wiring center & repeater. Active hubs play a key role in extending the distance
between nodes.

Passive Hub
• These hubs transmit the signals over the network without improving & cleaning them.
• These hubs are not suitable for extending the distance between nodes like an active hub.
Difference between Active and passive hub:
• Active hub strengthen the signal where passive hub repeat/copy signals.
• Active hub need Electricity whereas passive hub work without it.
• Active hub more smarter then passive hub.
• Passive hub is just a connector which connects wire coming from other devices.
• Active hub is multi-point repeater with capability of regeneration of signals.
• Active hub can process and monitor information while passive hub cannot do this.

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Network Switch
• Similar to a hub, this is also working at the layer in the LAN and a switch is more clever
compare with a hub.
• As the hub is used for data transferring, whereas a switch is used for filtering & forwarding the
data.
• So this is the more clever technique to deal with the data packets.
• Whenever a data packet is obtained from the interfaces in the switch, then the data packet can
be filtered & transmits to the interface of the proposed receiver.
• Due to this reason, a switch maintains a content addressable memory table to maintain system
configuration as well as memory. This table is also named as FIB (forwarding information base)
otherwise forwarding table.

Layer 2 Switch Layer 3 Switch

Operate on layer 2 (Data link) of OSI model. Operate on layer 3 (Network Layer) of OSI model.
Send “frames” to destination on the basis of MAC
Route Packet with help of IP address
address.
Can perform functioning of both 2 layer and 3
Work with MAC address only
layer switch

Mostly Used to implement VLAN (Virtual Local

Used to reduce traffic on local network.
area network)
Quite fast as they do not look at the Layer 3 Takes time to examine data packets before sending
portion of the data packets. them to their destination
It has single broadcast domain It has multiple broadcast domain.
Can communicate within a network only. Can communicate within or outside network.

Modem
A modem is the most important network device and it is used daily in our life. If we notice the internet
connection to homes was given with the help of a wire. then wire carries internet data from one place to
another. But, every computer gives digital or binary data in the form of zeros & ones.
The full form of the modem is a modulator and a demodulator. So it modulates as well as demodulates
the signal among the computer and a telephone line because the computer generates digital data
whereas the telephone line generates an analog signal.

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Network Router
A network router is one kind of network device in a computer network and it is used for routing traffic
from one network to another.
Routers will normally create, add, or divide on the Network Layer as they are normal-
ly IP-based devices

These two networks could be private to a public company network. For example, here a router is
considered as traffic police at the junction, he directs dissimilar traffic networks to dissimilar
directions.

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There are two ways that the router can get the information for the routing table
—through static routing or dynamic routing.

Types of routers
Static Routing
• In environments that use static routing , routes and route information are
entered into the routing tables manually.
• Not only can this be a time-consuming task, but also errors are more
common
• For these reasons, static routing is suited to only the smallest
environments with perhaps just one or two routers.
Dynamic Routing
• In a dynamic routing environment, routers use special routing protocols to
communicate.
• The purpose of these protocols is simple; they enable routers to pass on
information about themselves to other routers so that other routers can
build routing tables.

Bridge
A Bridge in the computer network is used to unite two or more network segments. The main function
of a bridge in network architecture is to store as well as transmit frames among the various segments.
Bridges use MAC (Media Access Control) hardware for transferring frames.
These are also used for connecting two physical local area networks to a larger logical local area
network. In the OSI model, bridges work at the data link & physical layers to divide the networks from
larger to smaller by controlling the data flow between the two. In recent years, bridges are replaced by
switches to provide more functionality.

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Types of Bridges
Three types of bridges are used in networks:

1. Transparent bridge—Derives its name from the fact that the devices on the network are
unaware of its existence. A transparent bridge does nothing except block or forward data based
on the MAC address.
2. Source route bridge—Used in Token Ring networks. The source route bridge derives its name
from the fact that the entire path that the packet is to take through the network is embedded
within the packet.
3. Translational bridge—Used to convert one networking data format to another; for example,
from Token Ring to Ethernet and vice versa

Repeater
The operating of a repeater can be done at the physical layer. The main function of this device is to
reproduce the signal on a similar network before the signal gets weak otherwise damaged. The
significant point to be noted regarding these devices is that they do not strengthen the signal. Whenever
the signal gets weak, then they reproduce it at the actual strength. A repeater is a two-port device

Gateway
• Generally, a gateway performs at the session & transport layers in the OSI model.
• Gateways offer conversion between networking technologies like OSI (Open System
Interconnection) & TCP/IP. Because of this, these are connected to two or many autonomous

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 networks, where each network has its own domain name service, routing algorithm, topology,
protocols, and procedures of network administration & policies.
• Any device that translates one data format to another is called a gateway.
Some examples of gateways include a router that translates data from one
network protocol to another, a bridge that converts between two networking
systems, and a software application that converts between two dissimilar for-
mats.
• Gateways execute all the functions of routers. Actually, a router with additional conversion
functionality is a gateway, so the conversion between various network technologies is known as
a protocol converter.

Brouter
The Brouter is also called a bridging router and the main function of this is to combine the features of
both router & bridge and router. It performs either at the network layer or the data link layer. When it
works as a router, it is used for routing packets across networks whereas it works as a bridge; it is used
for filtering LANs traffic

Hub and Switch Cabling

• Hubs and switches can also be connected to create larger networks.

Medium Dependent Interface-Crossed (MDI-X).
• The ports on a hub to which computer systems are attached are called
Medium Dependent Interface-Crossed (MDI-X).
• The crossed designation is derived from the fact that two of the wires
within the connection are crossed so that the send signal wire on one
device becomes the receive signal of the other.

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 • Because the ports are crossed internally, a standard or straight-through
cable can be used to connect devices.
Medium Dependent Interface (MDI) port
• Its often included on a hub or switch to facilitate the connection of two
switches or hubs.
• Because the hubs or switches are designed to see each other as
simply an extension of the network, there is no need for the signal to be
crossed
• If a hub or switch does not have an MDI port, hubs or switches can
be connected by using a crossover cable between two MDI-X ports.
• The crossover cable serves to uncross the internal crossing.

NB: We use crossover cable to connect switch to PC

References

1. Fraihat, A. (2020). Computer Networking Layers Based on the OSI Model.

2. Computer Networks.https://beginnersbook.com/2019/03/computer-network-architecture:
Accessed December 2021
3. TCP/IP. https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/TCP-IP, Accessed: December
2021.

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