BASIC NETWORK COMPONENTS

LTEC 4550BY: TAYLOR BAIRD

TERMS TO KNOW• NETWORK PACKET: A FORMATTED UNIT OF DATA CARRIED BY A PACKET-

SWICHED NETWORK.• PACKET SWITCHING: A DIGITAL NETWORKING COMMUNICATIONS

METHOD THAT GROUPS ALL TRANSMITTED DATA INTO SUITABLY SIZED BLOCKS CALLED PACKETS, WHICH ARE THEN TRANSMITTED AND SHARED BY MULTIPLE COMMUNICATION SESSIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY.

HUB• A DEVICE FOR CONNECTING

MULTIPLE ETHERNET DEVICES TOGETHER AND MAKING THEM ACT AS A SINGLE NETWORK SEGMEMT.

• A HUB IS A COMMON CONNECTION POINT OR DEVICE IN A NETWORK.

• HUBS SERVE AS A MAIN CONNECTION POINT FOR ALL YOUR EQUIPMENT AND DATA WITHIN YOUR NETWORK.

• DEVICES SHARE BANDWIDTH.• THIS DEVICE IS USED IN A BUSINESS OR EVEN A

HOUSEHOLD TO CONNECT MULTIPLE DEVICES TO THE INTERNET.

Price range varies from $17.99 to $34.99 or more.

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Network Connection

SWITCH• A SWITCH IS A COMPUTER NETWORKING COMPONENT

THAT CONNECTS DEVICES TOGETHER ON A COMPUTER NETWORK BY USING PACKET SWITCHING TO FORWARD DATA TO THE DESIRED DEVICE.

• PROVIDES A MAIN CONNECTION POINT IN A NETWORK IN WHICH EACH DEVICE HAS ITS OWN INDIVIDUAL BANDWIDTH.

• DEVICES HAVE SEPARATE BANDWIDTHS.• USED IN NETWORKS WITH A LOT OF DEVICES, TO HELP

WITH A CROWDED NETWORK.

Price range varies from $29.97 to $159.99 or more.

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ROUTER• A NETWORK DEVICE THAT CONNECTS DEVICES TO A NETWORK

AND ESSENTIALLY TO THE INTERNET. • A ROUTER SENDS DATA PACKETS BETWEEN COMPUTER

NETWORKS. • THESE DATA PACKETS ARE TYPICALLY FORWARDED FROM ONE

ROUTER TO ANOTHER THROUGH THE NETWORKS THAT MAKE UP THE INTERNETWORK UNTIL IT REACHES ITS DESTINATION NODE.

• THIS DEVICE IS USEFUL IN MANY ENVIRONMENTS FROM A BUSINESS TO A HOUSEHOLD THAT HAS MULTIPLE DEVICES.

• THERE ARE EVEN ROUTERS THAT ALLOW A WIRELESS CONNECTION.

Price range varies from $21.99 to $99.99 or more.

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BRIDGE• A BRIDGE IS A NETWORK DEVICE THAT CONNECTS

MULTIPLE NETWORKS ALLOWING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE NETWORKS.

• BASICALLY A “BRIDGE” TO ANOTHER NETWORK.• GOOD FOR SMALL OFFICES THAT HAVE DIFFERENT

NETWORKS BUT WANT TO EXCHANGE FILES OR INFORMATION OVER THE NETWORKS.

Price range varies from $33.99 to $49.99 or more.

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GATEWAY• A GATEWAY IS A NETWORK POINT THAT

BASICALLY WORKS AS AN ENTRANCE TO ANOTHER NETWORK.

• DEVICES ARE CONNECTED TO THE NETWORK THROUGH THE GATEWAY.

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Price range varies from $390.99 to $999.99 or more.

FIREWALL• A NETWORK SECURITY SYSTEM THAT MONITORS

AND CONTROLS THE INCOMING AND OUTGOING NETWORK TRAFFIC BASED ON SECURITY RULES PREDETERMINED BY THE CONTROLLER.

• NETWORK FIREWALLS: SECURITY PROVIDED BY A FIREWALL THAT FILTERS TRAFFIC BETWEEN ONE OR MORE NETWORKS.

• HOST-BASED FIREWALLS: SECURITY PROVIDED BY A FIREWALL ON ONE HOST THAT CONTROLS NETWORK TRAFFIC IN AND OUT OF THAT ONE MACHINE.

Price range varies from $294.65 to $1,311.86 or more.

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WIRELESS ACCESS POINT• A WIRELESS ACCESS POINT IS A NETWORKING

COMPONENT WHICH ALLOWS DEVICES TO CONNECT TO A WIRED NETWORK USING WI-FI.

• THIS DEVICE IS USEFUL IN ANY ENVIRONMENT, BUT ESPECIALLY WHEN A DEVICE IS IN A HARD TO REACH AREA FOR WIRES.

• THESE ARE BECOMING POPULAR BECAUSE OF THE BENEFITS OF NO WIRES.

Price range varies from $28.42 to $85.26 or more.

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ALL COMPONENT DIAGRAM

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Network 1

Network 2

Hub

Switch

Bridge

GatewayRouter/Wireless

APFirewall