Networking Devices

1. Repeater – A repeater operates at the physical layer.
Its job is to
amplifies (i.e., regenerates) the signal over the same network before
the signal becomes too weak or corrupted to extend the length to
which the signal can be transmitted over the same network. When
the signal becomes weak, they copy it bit by bit and regenerate it at
its star topology connectors connecting following the original
strength. It is a 2-port device.
2. Hub – A hub is a basically multi-port repeater. A hub connects

multiple wires coming from different branches, for example, the
connector in star topology which connects different stations. Hubs
cannot filter data, so data packets are sent to all connected devices.
In other words, the collision domain of all hosts connected through
Hub remains one. Also, they do not have the intelligence to find
out the best path for data packets which leads to inefficiencies and
wastage.
Types of Hub
 Active Hub:- These are the hubs that have their power supply and can
clean, boost, and relay the signal along with the network. It serves
both as a repeater as well as a wiring center. These are used to extend
the maximum distance between nodes.
 Passive Hub:- These are the hubs that collect wiring from nodes and
power supply from the active hub. These hubs relay signals onto the
network without cleaning and boosting them and can’t be used to
extend the distance between nodes.
 Intelligent Hub:- It works like an active hub and includes remote
management capabilities. They also provide flexible data rates to
network devices. It also enables an administrator to monitor the traffic
passing through the hub and to configure each port in the hub.
3. Bridge – A bridge operates at the data link layer. A bridge is a
repeater, with add on the functionality of filtering content by
reading the MAC addresses of the source and destination. It is also
used for interconnecting two LANs working on the same protocol.
It has a single input and single output port, thus making it a 2 port
device.
Types of Bridges
 Transparent Bridges:- These are the bridge in which the stations are
completely unaware of the bridge’s existence i.e. whether or not a
bridge is added or deleted from the network, reconfiguration of the
stations is unnecessary. These bridges make use of two processes i.e.
bridge forwarding and bridge learning.
 Source Routing Bridges:- In these bridges, routing operation is
performed by the source station and the frame specifies which route to
follow. The host can discover the frame by sending a special frame
called the discovery frame, which spreads through the entire network
using all possible paths to the destination.
4. Switch – A switch is a multiport bridge with a buffer and a design

that can boost its efficiency(a large number of ports imply less
traffic) and performance. A switch is a data link layer device. The
switch can perform error checking before forwarding data, which
makes it very efficient as it does not forward packets that have
errors and forward good packets selectively to the correct port
only. In other words, the switch divides the collision domain of
hosts, but the broadcast domain remains the same.
Types of Switch
1. Unmanaged switches: These switches have a simple plug-and-play
design and do not offer advanced configuration options. They are
suitable for small networks or for use as an expansion to a larger
network.
2. Managed switches: These switches offer advanced configuration
options such as VLANs, QoS, and link aggregation. They are suitable
for larger, more complex networks and allow for centralized
management.
3. Smart switches: These switches have features similar to managed
switches but are typically easier to set up and manage. They are
suitable for small- to medium-sized networks.
4. Layer 2 switches: These switches operate at the Data Link layer of the
OSI model and are responsible for forwarding data between devices on
the same network segment.
5. Layer 3 switches: These switches operate at the Network layer of the
OSI model and can route data between different network segments.
They are more advanced than Layer 2 switches and are often used in
larger, more complex networks.
6. PoE switches: These switches have Power over Ethernet capabilities,
which allows them to supply power to network devices over the same
cable that carries data.
7. Gigabit switches: These switches support Gigabit Ethernet speeds,
which are faster than traditional Ethernet speeds.
8. Rack-mounted switches: These switches are designed to be mounted
in a server rack and are suitable for use in data centers or other large
networks.
9. Desktop switches: These switches are designed for use on a desktop or
in a small office environment and are typically smaller in size than
rack-mounted switches.
10. Modular switches: These switches have modular design, which
allows for easy expansion or customization. They are suitable for large
networks and data centers.
5. Routers – A router is a device like a switch that routes data packets
based on their IP addresses. The router is mainly a Network Layer
device. Routers normally connect LANs and WANs and have a
dynamically updating routing table based on which they make
decisions on routing the data packets. The router divides the
broadcast domains of hosts connected through it.
Two types of routers −

 Static routers – Static routers are configured manually and route data
packets based on the information in a router table.
 Dynamic routers – Dynamic routers use adaptive routing which is a
process where a router can forward data by a different route.
6. Gateway – A gateway, as the name suggests, is a passage to

connect two networks that may work upon different networking
models. They work as messenger agents that take data from one
system, interpret it, and transfer it to another system. Gateways are
also called protocol converters and can operate at any network
layer. Gateways are generally more complex than switches or
routers.
7. Brouter – It is also known as the bridging router is a device that

combines features of both bridge and router. It can work either at
the data link layer or a network layer. Working as a router, it is
capable of routing packets across networks and working as the
bridge, it is capable of filtering local area network traffic.
8. NIC – NIC or network interface card is a network adapter that is

used to connect the computer to the network. It is installed in the
computer to establish a LAN. It has a unique id that is written on
the chip, and it has a connector to connect the cable to it. The cable
acts as an interface between the computer and the router or modem.
NIC card is a layer 2 device which means that it works on both the
physical and data link layers of the network model.
9. Modem- A modem (short for Modulator-Demodulator) is a

device that enables digital devices, such as computers, to
communicate over analog communication lines, such as telephone or
cable lines. In data communication, a modem converts digital signals
from a computer into analog signals (modulation) for transmission
over these lines. At the receiving end, another modem converts the
analog signals back into digital form (demodulation), allowing the
data to be understood by the receiving computer.
Working of a Modem:
 Modulation: When a computer sends data, the modem modulates

the digital data into analog signals. This is necessary because
traditional telephone or cable lines transmit analog signals.
 Transmission: The analog signal is then sent over the
communication line (e.g., telephone, cable, or fiber).
 Demodulation: At the destination, another modem demodulates the
incoming analog signal back into digital data, which the receiving
computer can interpret.
10. Access point - An Access Point (AP) is a networking device

that enables wireless devices (like laptops, smartphones, or tablets)
to connect to a wired network, typically through a wireless local area
network (WLAN). It acts as a central hub in a wireless network,
allowing devices to communicate with each other and with wired
network infrastructure, such as a router or switch.
Working of an Access Point:
1. Wireless Signal Transmission: The access point broadcasts a

wireless signal (Wi-Fi) that devices within range can detect. Devices
equipped with wireless network interfaces can connect to the AP
using this signal.
2. Bridging the Connection: Once connected, the AP acts as a bridge
between the wireless devices and the wired network. It forwards data
between the two, allowing wireless devices to communicate with
other devices on the local network or access external resources (e.g.,
the internet).
3. Data Handling: Access points use the wireless protocol (such as
IEEE 802.11 standards) to manage communication between devices,
handle authentication, and ensure proper data transmission.
11. Firewall - A firewall is a security device, either hardware,
software, or a combination of both, designed to monitor and control
incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predefined security
rules. In the context of data communication, firewalls serve as a
protective barrier between internal networks (trusted) and external
networks, like the internet (untrusted), to prevent unauthorized
access, cyber-attacks, and data breaches.
Working of a Firewall:
1. Traffic Filtering: The firewall examines data packets as they enter

or leave the network, based on a set of security rules. These rules
determine whether the data should be allowed, blocked, or redirected
based on IP addresses, port numbers, and protocols.
2. Packet Inspection: Firewalls perform either:
o Stateless Inspection: Checking each packet independently
against the rules.
o Stateful Inspection: Tracking the state of active connections
and making decisions based on the context of communication.
3. Access Control: Firewalls can restrict access to certain network

services, applications, or IP addresses, preventing malicious traffic
from entering or sensitive data from leaving the network.
4. Logging and Monitoring: Many firewalls log activity for
administrators to monitor for suspicious or unauthorized access
attempts, helping identify potential security threats.
12. Load balancer - Load balancers manage information flow

between servers and endpoint devices. They conduct health
checks on servers, removing faulty ones from the pool. Load
balancers can be physical or virtual.
13. VPN - A VPN (Virtual network point) appliance is a dedicated

device that ensures secure, remote access to a private network
through the implementation of VPN technology. Typically situated
at the perimeter of the network, it enables authorized users to
securely connect to internal servers and resources from anywhere
outside the network, maintaining a secure and private connection.

Networking Devices

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1. Repeater – A repeater operates at the physical layer.

2. Hub – A hub is a basically multi-port repeater. A hub connects

4. Switch – A switch is a multiport bridge with a buffer and a design

Two types of routers −

6. Gateway – A gateway, as the name suggests, is a passage to

7. Brouter – It is also known as the bridging router is a device that

8. NIC – NIC or network interface card is a network adapter that is

9. Modem- A modem (short for Modulator-Demodulator) is a

 Modulation: When a computer sends data, the modem modulates

10. Access point - An Access Point (AP) is a networking device

Working of an Access Point:

1. Wireless Signal Transmission: The access point broadcasts a

1. Traffic Filtering: The firewall examines data packets as they enter

3. Access Control: Firewalls can restrict access to certain network

12. Load balancer - Load balancers manage information flow

13. VPN - A VPN (Virtual network point) appliance is a dedicated

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