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Network Devices. By Jackson Hardesty. 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 Hubs are a now outdated way of sending signals at layer 2 compared to switches.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.
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Network Devices By Jackson Hardesty
Hubs • Hubs are a now outdated way of sending signals at layer 2 compared to switches.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 PC’s connected to a hub, making it difficult to use in an enterprise environment.
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.
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.
Routers • Routers use headers and forwarding tables to determine data’s 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 AP’s 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.