Today we will be looking at some important networking components and what are their uses.
Networking Components
MAC Address
- Like we all have a house address a MAC address is an address of a computer or a component.
- It is a useful thing as we get our package delivered to our homes this address is used to deliver data packets to the specific component.
- This is very specific and permanent per device
- This is a 12-digit hexadecimal code which is just a pattern to represent the numbers.
Switch
- This is a networking component that is a hardware device and can be seen as an intelligent hub.
- It connects my device/hosts/ether in a network to communicate and share information with uses a MAC address to deliver the information to only the specific node and not to all nodes as in the case of a hub.
- This is more efficient and secure in case of privacy than the hub.
Bridge
- This networking component is an intelligent repeater
- It connects two or more network segments
- It divides networking segments
- It receives the information and then transfers to the MAC address for which the packet was for
- It is used when data is to be transferred at longer distances
Router
- It is a hardware device that is used to forward the data packets in a computer network.
- It is the hardware that transfers data from ISP to our homes
- We can say it is a modern router
- It handles all the packets and sends them to specific addresses in the network or out of the network
- It is both wirelessly or with wire.
Gateway
- This networking component is a software used in communication that allows data to flow from one discrete (seperate) network to other. It also helps us to send data back and forth in a network.
- This gives us entry into different networks so we can easily communicate with them like to search for information on Google or to do online shopping etc.
Wireless Access Point (WAP)
- It is a point from which we can connect the internet wirelessly or through a wire.
- Generally, it is nowadays integrated into the router itself.
- It supports multiple connections which can be wired or wireless or both.
- It creates are local area network