TYPES OF NETWORK DEVICES
TYPES OF NETWORK DEVICES A network device is a piece of hardware or software integral to communication between a computer and an internet network. Network devices play two roles. The first is establishing a network connection, as a router or a modem does. The second one is maintaining, protecting and enhancing that connection, as with a hub, repeater, switch or gateway. 1. Switches - A switch is a multiport device that improves network efficiency. Switches maintain limited routing information about nodes in the internal network, allowing connections to systems like hubs or routers. Strands of LANs are usually connected using switches. Generally, switches read the hardware addresses of incoming packets to transmit them to the appropriate destination. 2. Bridges - Bridges connect two or more hosts or network segments by storing or hosting frames between them. Bridges use hardware MAC addresses for transferring frames. They can forward or block data with the MAC address of the devic