Network hardware components required for industry

Syllabus Detail

  • Network hardware components for industry; router, switch, firewall, modem, NIC, WAP, bridge  11 ATAR, 12 GEN,
  • gateway, repeaters 12 ATAR

Router

  • Used to connect 2 or more networks eg router in your house connects to an Internet Service Provider
  • They are located at gateways or entry points to the network
  • They send packets of data between the two networks eg this is how the internet information comes into your house
  • Commonly has 2 or 4 or 8 ports
  • More about routers  from wikipedia

Switch

  • Used to connect many computers in a local area network (LAN)
  • Connects many computers in the LAN to a server
  • Used to send data within a local area network (LAN)
  • Commonly has 24 or 48 ports
  • More about switches from wikipedia

Firewall

  • Software that checks incoming data and stops dangerous data
  • Uses rules to 'filter out' this data
  • "It can't get past the firewall", complained the student.
  • A firewall can stop data based on IP addresses
  • Examples are Norton 360, Avast Internet Security, Intego VirusBarrier
  • More about firewalls from wikipedia

Modem

  • A phone line connects to a modem, this connects the internet to the building.
  • Changes analogue (voice) to digital so it can go over the telephone line.
  • Changes the signal back from digital to analogue at the other end of the telephone line so we can hear it.
  • This change is called MOdulate/DEModulate
  • more about modems from Computer Hope

Network Interface Card (NIC)

  • Is the hardware that connects a computer to a network
  • No NIC = no network
  • A wireless network interface card (WNIC) is common in laptops. These are usually USB/bluetooth types.
  • More about NICs from wikipedia

Wireless Access Point (WAP)

  • It is commonly attached to a wall and has an antenna to receive and send signals to laptops and smartphones 
  • It sends these signals back to the server through a wired connection.
  • A WAP can handle anywhere from 10-50 devices connecting to it. Depending on type.
  • More about WAPs from About Tech

Bridge

  • Is uses the MAC address to forward data between two ethernet LANs
  • It works by using the MAC address on each computer to send the data to.
  • A 2-port networking bridge may have LAN1 connected to its port 1, and LAN2 connected to its port 2.
  • For example a computer on LAN1 may send data to a computer in LAN2 and it will go through the bridge.
  • It builds a bridging table which gives mac addresses and ports for host connection.
  • Once the example above happens, a bridging table would record eg 00-97-78-AA-4D-5C and 00-26-23-C8-2A-5C on port 2.
  • more about Bridge's from Pearson

Gateway

  • The place where the internet comes into a network is a gateway example
  • Connects networks that use different protocols
  • Secure location with firewall, or proxy server, and other hardware such as routers
  • It controls data leaving the LAN and going to the internet AND coming back to the LAN
  • More about gateways from wikipedia

Repeater

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