Introduction

• LANs do not operate in isolation.

• We need different connecting devices to connect
computers in LAN.
• Different types of connecting devices are

Network
Connecting devices

Hub Switch Repeaters Bridges Routers Gateway Modem

• Out of these repeaters, hubs, switches and bridges are known

as Networking devices.
• Whereas Repeaters, Routers & Gateways are known as
Internetworking devices.
•
• Hub
A hub, also called a network hub, is a
common connection point for devices in a
network.
Hubs are devices commonly used to connect
segments of a LAN. The hub contains multiple
ports.
When a packet arrives at one port, it is copied
to the other ports so that all segments of the
LAN can see all packets.
Hubs works at layer-1 of the OSI model i.e at
physical layer. It amplifies and regenerates the
signal too.
• Unlike a network switch or router, a network hub
has no routing tables or intelligence on where to
send information.
• Hub broadcasts all network data across each
connection.
• Most hubs can detect basic network errors such
as collisions, but having all information broadcast
to multiple ports can be a security risk.
• In the past, network hubs were popular because
they were cheaper than a switch or router. Today,
switches do not cost much more than a hub and
are a much better solution for any network.
•
• Types of Hub
1. Active hub
These hubs amplify and regenerate our signals. Active hub is
also called as Multiport repeater. Active hubs need electricity to
work.
2. Passive hub
Passive hubs simply distributes the signal coming from the
previous ports. Passive hub neither regenerates any signal nor
amplifies, therefore it does not require electricity to work.
3. Intelligence hub
I-hub perform some other tasks like bridging & routing which
increases the speed effectively of whole network. This helps the
administrator to monitor network traffic, and configure each port
on it individually, I-hub is also known as a manageable hub.
• Advantages of Hubs:
1. It can extend total distance of the network.
2. It does not affect performance of the network
seriously.
3. It is cheaper.
4. It can connect different media types.
5. No configuration of hub is required.
• Disadvantages of Hubs:
1. It does not have mechanisms such as collision detection
and retransmission of packets.
2. It does not operate in full duplex mode.
3. It can not connect different network architectures such
as token ring and ethernet etc.
4. It can not filter information i.e. it passes packets to all
the connected segments.
5. It does not have mechanism to reduce the network
traffic
• Switch
• A network switch is a hardware device that
forwards incoming data from input port to a
specific output port that will take it toward its
intended destination.
• A network switch is a multiport network
bridge that uses MAC addresses to forward
data at the data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI
model.
• Switches maintain tables that match each
MAC address to the port which the MAC
address is received.

• Some switches can also forward data at the

network layer (layer 3) by additionally
incorporating routing functionality. Such
switches are commonly known as layer-3
switches or multilayer switches.[
• Advantages of Switches:
1. Switches increase available network bandwidth.
2. Switches reduce the workload on individual
computers.
3. Switches increase network performance
4. Networks that include switches experience fewer
frame collisions.
5. Switches connect directly to workstations.
6. Operates in full duplex mode
7. It is available in various configurations and as per
data transfer speeds such as 10/100/1000 Mbps or
10/100Gbps.
• Following are the disadvantages of Switches:
➨They are more expensive compare to
network bridges.
➨Network connectivity issues are difficult to
be traced through the network switch.
➨Broadcast traffic may be troublesome.
While using broadcasts, they are not as good
as routers.
➨Proper design and configuration is needed
in order to handle multicast packets.
➨While limiting broadcasts, they are not as
good as routers.
 Hub Switch
• Physical layer. Hubs are classified as Data Link Layer. Network switches
Layer
Layer 1 devices per the OSI model. operate at Layer 2 of the OSI model.
Allow connections to multiple devices
To connect a network of personal
Function manage ports, manage VLAN security
computers together,
settings
Data Transmission Frame (L2 Switch) Frame & Packet (L3
Electrical signal or bits
form switch)

Ports 4/8 ports Switch is multi port Bridge. 24/48 port

Active Device (With Software) &

Device Type Passive Device (Without Software)
Networking device
A network hub cannot learn or store Swiches copies MAC address from NIC
Table
MAC address. to connected port.

Transmission ModeHalf duplex Full duplex

Switch provides unicast data

Broadcast Domain Hub Broadcasts data.
transmission
Speed 10Mbps 10/100 Mbps, 1 Gbps
Device Category non intelligent device Intelligent Device
Manufacturers Sun Systems, Oracle and Cisco Cisco, D-link etc
• Bridge
• A network bridge is a computer networking
device that creates a single aggregate network
from multiple communication networks or
network segments.
• This function is called network bridging.
•
•
• Bridging is distinct from routing. Routing allows
multiple networks to communicate
independently and yet remain separate,
whereas bridging connects two separate
networks as if they were a single network.
• In the OSI model, bridging is performed in the
data link layer (layer 2).
• If one or more segments of the bridged network
are wireless, the device is known as a wireless
bridge.
• Bridges inspect incoming network traffic and
determine whether to forward or discard the
traffic according to its intended destination.
 • Bridge operates at two level i.e. physical layer and
data link layer.
• Being a physical layer device, it regenerates the
signal it receives. Here, it acts as a repeater.
• The bridge being a data link layer device identifies
the source and destination address of the frame it
receives.
• There are 4 types of bridges
1. Simple Bridges
2. Multipoint Bridges
3. Transparent Bridges
4. Source routing bridges
 • Comparison Chart
Basis for
Comparis Bridge Switch
on
A switch can connect
A bridge can connect
Basic fewer LAN.
more networks
compared to the bridge.
Switch has a buffer for
Bridges do not have
Buffer buffers.
each link connected to
it.
Store-and-forward
Simple bridge, multiport
switch and cut-through
Types bridge and transparent
switch.
bridge.

Bridges do not perform Switches perform error

• Repeater
•
• Repeater is physical layer device, it works on the
physical layer of OSI model.
• Repeater are used to amplify signal and it is
actually a signal regenerator.
• The repeater extend the length of the LAN
segment, provide the long distance
communication.
• The most typical application of the repeater is to
connect two or more segments of the Ethernet
cable, its purpose is to extend the length of the
network and however extension is limited.
• Active hubs are example of repeaters.
• In modern networks we are using the wifi
repeaters.
•
• Router
• Router is a layer three device which forwards data
packets from one logical network segment to
another on the basis of destination address.
• For this, router keeps records of path that packets
can use as they move across the network in a
database table known as routing table.
• Routing table can be built statically or dynamically.
• Router Router symbol
• Working of router:
• Schematic diagram of router has four basic
component: Input ports, output ports, the routing
processor and switching fabric.
• Input ports perform physical & data link layer
functions of router.
• Output ports perform same function as input ports
but in reverse order.
• The routing processor performs the function of
network layer. The process known as table lookup.
• Switching fabric moves packet from the input queue
to output queue by using specialized mechanisms.
 There are two types of routers:
1. Static Router- Static Routing is the process of
predefining route paths across data network. In
this administrator has to configure and setup all
routes manually.
2. Dynamic Router- In this, only first route has to
be manually configured. After that additional
routes are automatically discovered. The route is
decided by router on the basis of traffic & cost.
They use specialized protocols to find route.
 • Advantages of Routers:
1. Provide high network fault tolerance through
redundant components.
2. Routers can choose the best path across an
internetwork using dynamic routing techniques.
3. Provides connectivity across Wide Area Network
(WAN) links.
4. Using routers, we can connect two or more
independent network i.e an Ethernet network and
token ring.
5. Routers are configurable which allows network
manager to make policy based on routing
decision.
 • Disadvantages of Routers
1. Router is more expensive than Hub, Bridge and
switch.
2. They operate based on routable network protocol.
3. Routers operate slower than any of the other device
because extra decision make involved and router
need to analyze data from layer-1 to layer-3.
4. Routers do not have ability to stop broadcast packets
from being forwarded to other networks.
5. They require considerable amount of initial
configurations.
• Bridge
• A bridge is a hardware device for linking two
networks that work with the same protocol.
• Bridge operates at data link layer of the OSI model
means it operates using physical address of the
system .
• Bridges can divide a large network into smaller
segments. It has a table for filtering decision.
• Bridges reduces traffic on network segments since it
does not send all packets. Bridges can be
programmed to reject packets from particular
network.
 Classification of Bridges:
1. Internal Bridge :It is the modification of existing
network system or the file server to transmit signals
between networks. Here file server itself acts as
bridge.
2. External Bridge: When a bridge is established on a
separate system then it is called as an external
bridge. A computer other than file server acts as a
bridge.
•
• Working of bridge:
• The bridge creates a function table with physical
addresses and the segments they belong to, and
listens to the data passing through the segments.
• When the data is transmitted , the bridge checks
the function table for the segment of sending and
receiving computers.
• If they belong to same segment, the bridge does
nothing, otherwise it switches the data towards
destination computer segment.
 • Advantages of Bridge:
1. Bridge can reduce the amount of network traffic
on segment.
2. Bridges can connect different network
architectures like Ethernet & Token Ring.
3. Bridge can filter the traffic ; it increases
throughput on a network.
4. Self configuring.
5. Bridges are simple and significant.
6. Primitive bridges are often inexpensive.
 • Disadvantages of Bridge:
1. Bridges are more expensive than repeaters.
2. Bridges are slower than Hubs and Repeaters,
because they examine each frame’s source and
destination addresses.
3. A bridge can not make decisions about routes
through the network.
4. Bridging of different MAC protocols introduces
errors.
5. Does not scale to extremely large networks.
 • Router Bridge
Routers operate at layer 3 of OSI Ref.
1 Model.
Bridges operate at layer 2 of OSI Ref. Model.

Routers are used to connect LAN and

2 WAN Bridges are used to connect two LANs.

Routers transmits data in the form of

3 packets Bridges transmits data in the form of frames

4 Router reads IP address of a device. Bridges reads MAC address of a device.

Router has more ports compare to
5 Bridge. Bridge has only two ports.
Routers are more intelligent than
6 bridges Bridges are more intelligent than Routers

Bridges are faster than Router because they

7 Routers are slower than bridges connect networks that are using the same
protocol.

8 Routers are costly Bridges are cheaper than router.

Routers can block broadcast or Bridges does not block broadcast or
 • Repeater
1. A repeater( or regenerator) is an electronic device that
operates on physical layer of OSI model.
2. A repeater is a network device that retransmits a received
signal with more power and to an extended geographical
network boundary than what would be capable with the
original signal.
3. Repeaters amplify the received/input signal to a higher
frequency domain so that it is reusable , scalable and
available.
4. Since a signal loses strength as it passes along a cable, it is
often necessary to boost the signal with a device called a
repeater.
5. A repeater is a regenerator, not an amplifier. An amplifier
cannot discriminate between the intended(data signal) and
noise. It amplifies equally everything fed to it.
 • Advantages of Repeater:
1. Repeaters passes all traffic signals in bi-directions.
2. They are very least expensive for expanding a
network.
3. They can connect different types of transmission
medias.
4. Repeaters can reduce the effect of noise.
5. Repeaters can extend the network.
6. Repeaters can regenerate the desired information.
 • Disadvantages of Repeater:
1. There is a limit to the number of repeaters that
can be used to extend a LAN’s length and
topology.
2. They do not examine any destination address and
they do not filter or translate any data.
3. Repeaters does not support different network
architectures.
4. If network traffic is heavy, then repeater is not
support.
 • Repeater Bridge
Repeaters operate at physical Bridge operate at data link layer of
1 layer of OSI model OSI model

A repeater strengthens the A bridge acts as bridge between two

2 signal. networks or network segment.

A repeater regenerates the

received signals and then A bridge can join n/w segments or
3 retransmits the regenerated workgroup LANs
signals on other segments.

Repeaters do not need any

4 addressing of data from the Bridges require addressing of data.
frame.
• Gateway:
• Gateway work at all 7 layers of OSI reference model.
• Gateway is a network device which interconnects two
heterogeneous networks of dissimilar protocols and
architectures.
• Gateway is generally a workstation or server having two
way path between networks.
• Gateway receives data from one network and
repackages it in destination network protocol stack.
Mostly this conversion of protocol takes place at
application layer.
• Key feature of Gateway is that it converts the format of
data from one form to another. It never converts the
actual data.
• Gateways are also called as protocol converters. These
are more complex than switch and router.
 • Advantages of Gateway -
1. Used to expand the network and to connect two
dissimilar types of networks.
2. Mostly it is server so provides security.
3. Effectively handles the traffic problem.
4. Gateways can be used for one of the four
purposes: An email Gateway, an IBM host
Gateway, an Internet Gateway or LAN Gateway.
 • Disadvantages of Gateway -
1. Gateways becomes bottlenecks because the flow
of data is slow.
2. Noise prevention is not done.
3. It never filters data.
4. Protocol conversion is done so transmission rate is
slow.
• Gateway Router
Gateway is a network device Router is a network device that
1 which interconnects two interconnects two homogeneous
heterogeneous network. network.

Gateway operate at all layer of Router operate at network layer of

2
OSI ref. Model OSI ref. Model
Purpose of Gateway is to act Purpose of Router is to route the
3 as final point that crosses data data between two or more
in the network. network.
Gateway specifically designed
Routers are specifically designed to
to provide access to all
4 act intelligently to route data
computers in a network to
towards destination network.
world wide web.

5 Diagram Diagram
Modem
• Modem is abbreviation for modulation & demodulation.
• It is a hardware device that allows a computer or other
device such as router or switch to connect to the internet.
• The computer network works in digital mode and
transmission technology used for carrying messages across
phone lines use analog technology. So conversion from
one form to another is required.
• In modem modulator converts digital signal from a
computer into analog form, sent over the analog medium,
then demodulator decodes back into digital signal at the
receiving end.
• Modem acts as convertor or translator.
• Types of Modem
• Analog Modem: Analog modem converts analog signal
into digital form and digital into analog. There are two
types of analog modem.
a. Internal Modem- These modem are in the form of
card and plugged into one of the expansion slot of mother
board usually ISA or PCI slot.
b. External Modem- These modem are connected to
CPU via COM port or USB port and uses separate voltage
source in the form of adapter.
• Digital Modem: Instead of signal conversion, digital
modem performs modulation known as line coding.
Line coding is used to modulate the digital signal in
such a way that they can be transmitted over the digital
line. DSL, ADSL and ISDN modem are examples of digital
modem.
 • On the basis of directional capability modems are
divided into
1. Half Duplex Modem: In this modem signal can
travel in either direction, but transmission take
place in only one direction at a time. These
modem have only one carrier frequency. Data
communication takes place at very slow rate.
2. Full Duplex Modem: In this modem signal can
travel in both direction simultaneously. These
modem use two carrier frequency(one for each
direction). Data communication takes place at full
speed.
 • Wireless Infrastructure Components:
• Today Wireless communication is one of the most
important way to transport voice, video and data
using Radio frequency or microwave.
• In wireless infrastructure wireless devices can
communicate with each other. These devices are
1. Antennas- An antenna is a device that is designed
to transmit and receive electromagnetic waves
(i.e. radio waves). An antenna is a collection of
metal rods and wires that captures radio waves
and translate them into electrical signal.
• Wireless NICs- The device that makes the client
station capable of sending and receiving RF signals
is the wireless NIC (Network Interface Card).
The wireless NIC locates and communicates to the
access point with powerful signal to give access to
network user.
Like Wired(Ethernet) NIC wireless NIC also use a
technique for encoding data stream into an RF signal.
Wireless NICs are mostly used in mobile devices
and laptops.
• Access Point(APs) : APs are the hardware devices
or software used to connect wireless users into a
wired network for communication.
They act as a bridge between a wired LAN and
wireless network and generally connected to wired
network.
AP is also called as base station.
Aps are necessary for providing strong wireless
security and used for increasing physical range of
services to wireless users.
• Wireless Router:
• Wireless Modem:
• Wireless Repeater:
• Wireless Hub:
• Wireless Bridge:
• Wireless Gateway: