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Network Devices BY JACKSON HARDESTY

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Hubs Hubs are a now outdated way of sending signals at layer 2 compared to switches. Hubs are used primarily in small network environments due to the vast technical pitfalls when compared to switches today. Hubs are a cost effective way of connecting devices together on a network, you get what you pay for. A hub is designed to connect devices, but it will broadcast incoming data on all nodes. Meaning there is more chances for loops to be created. Bandwidth is shared by all PCs connected to a hub, making it difficult to use in an enterprise environment.

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Switches Powerful tools with a variety of options for managing a network. Can have multiple purposes, layer 3 switching is now prominently used in many companies and is a good alternative when trying to save on costs. Switches are not cheap, to get a managed switch in an enterprise environment will be much more expensive then a hub, but offers much more control. Switches operate primarily on layer 2 to allow network access for users. They utilize a variety of protocols to balance traffic on a network allowing for appropriate QOS.

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Switches There is a large variety of switches that are offered ranging between a lot of speeds. Enterprise environments tend to revolve around gigabit switches to give them the most bandwidth possible, this is not always necessary for a smaller company.

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Routers Routers use headers and forwarding tables to determine datas best route to take. Routing protocols make it easier for routers to communicate with each other to configure the best routes with the least amount of data degradation. Routers are what connect multiple networks together. Can be used to connect local networks to the WAN or can be used to connect multiple local networks. Routers are not filtering devices, they do very little filtering of data at Layer 3.

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Routers Routers are an essential aspect of a companies network and allows for many locations to share resources over company intranet. Routers allow for a more in depth control of a network and give a better understanding where traffic is going and where resources are best utilized.

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Bridges Bridges are very similar to switches, just usually used for smaller environments. A bridge operates on layer 2 of a network and inspects incoming data and then makes decisions on what data to forward on to the destination.

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Gateways A gateway is software, hardware, or a combination of both that allows connecting networks that may be using different protocols. A good example of this is the modem that most ISPs give new customers. It allows for a local connection to connect to the internet through the gateway.

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Firewall Firewalls act as a companies filtering device as well as a way to regulate access on a network. Companies use firewalls to allow users to connect to company resources from home using VPN. Enterprise environments MUST HAVE a firewall to operate and function normally. Smaller companies can usually get away with having a software based firewall.

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Wireless AP Wireless Access Points is how users can connect to the internet without having a physical connection. It can be used as a dummy Access point that is controlled from a central software that controls them all or they can each be programed differently. Wireless APs can be configured to only give access at certain times, to certain people, and for a set duration to give more control to the administrator.

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Diagram