Types of Network Devices | Top 8 Common Types of Network Devices

Types of Network Devices

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Introduction to Types of Network devices

In this post, we’re going to discuss the different types of network devices, but first, we’re going to know what a network device is. Network devices are called hardware devices that link computers, printers, faxes, and other electronic devices to the network. Such devices easily, safely, and correctly transfer data over one or other networks. Inter-network or intra-network devices may be available. Some devices, such as the NIC card or the connector RJ45, are mounted on the device, while others are network components such as a router, switch, etc. Let’s look more closely at some of these phones. The modem is a system that can send and receive data through phone or cable lines from a computer.

The data stored on the device is digital, while a phone line or cable wire can transmit only analog data. Digital signal is converted to analog and vice versa, which is important in the modem. The modulator transforms digital data into analog. When the processor sends the data, the demodulator is translated into digital data.

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Different Types of Network Devices

Let’s see different types of network devices and their working.

1. Access Point

While a wired or wireless link is technological in an AP, it usually means a wireless device. An AP operates on the second OSI layer, the data link layer, and can either act as a bridge that connects a standard wireless network to wireless devices or as a router that transmits data to another access point. Wireless connectivity points (WAPs) are a device used to generate a wireless LAN (WLAN) transmitter and receiver. Access points are usually separate networked machines with an integrated antenna, transmitter, and adapter.

In order to provide a link between WLAN and wired Ethernet Lan, APs are using wireless infrastructure network mode. They have several ports, which allow you to extend the network to support other customers. One or more APs may need to have full coverage, depending on the size of the network. APSAPs may also provide multiple ports that can be used to increase the network’s size, firewall capabilities, and the DHCP. So, we’re getting switch-based APs, DHCP servers, firewall, and router.

2. Router

Routers allow packets to be transmitted to their destinations by monitoring the sea of networking devices interconnected with different network topologies. Routers are smart devices and store data on the networks to which they are connected. Most routers can be adjusted as a firewall for packet filters and can use ACLs. Routers are also used to convert from LAN to WAN framing in conjunction with the network control unit/data service unit (CSU / DSU). Such routers are called boundary routers.

Routers are your first protection line, and only the traffic approved by network administrators needs to pass. Routers are your first protection line, and only the traffic approved by network administrators needs to pass.

3. Hub

The hubs link various networking devices. A network also functions as amplification by amplifying signals that deteriorate over cables after long distances. A hub is the easiest in the network communication system family, a hub is the easiest, as it links LAN components with the same protocols. Digital or analog data can be used with a server as long as its configuration prepares for formatting the incoming data. Hubs do not process or address packets; they only send data packets to all connected devices. We send data packets. Hubs operate on the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) physical layer. Two types of hubs exist: simple and multiple.

There are two types of Hubs:

Active Hub
Passive Hub

Active HUB: Those are hubs that can clean, raise and distribute the signal together with the network with their power supply. It is both a repeater and a cable hub. The total distance between nodes can be increased.

Passive HUB: These are hubs that collect cable from active network nodes and electricity. These hubs relay signals to the grid without being cleaned and improved, nor can the distance between nodes be increased.

4. Bridge

Bridges link two or more hosts or network segments. Bridge processing and transfer of frames between the various bridge links are the key roles in the network architecture. For the transmission of images, you use Media Access Control (MAC) hardware. Bridges can transmit the data or block the crossing by looking at the devices’ MAC addresses connected to each line. It is also possible to connect two physical LANs with a wider theoretical LAN with bridges. Bridges only function on OSI layers Physical and Data Link. Bridges are used for dividing large networks into smaller sections through the placement between two segments of the physical network and data flow management between the two.

Bridges are in many respects like hubs, like linking LAN components to the same protocols. Yet bridges, known as frames, filter the incoming data packets to addresses before transmission. The bridge does not modify the format or content of the incoming data when it filters the data packets with the aid of a dynamic bridge table; the bridge filters and forwarded frames in the network. The initially empty bridge table preserves each LAN computer’s LAN address and each bridge interface’s addresses that link the LAN to the other LANs.

5. Gateway

The transportation and session layers of the OSI model usually work in gateways. There are many guidelines and specifications for different vendors on the transport layer and above; gateways manage these. The connection between networking technologies, such as OSI and Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocols, such as TCP / IP, is supported by the gateway. Gateways link, thus, two or more self-contained networks with their own algorithms, protocols, topology, domain name system and policy, and network administration. Gateways handle all routing functions and more. In fact, an added translation router is a gateway. A protocol converter is called the feature that translates between different network technologies.

6. Switch

Switches have a smarter job than hubs in general. A switch improves the capacity of the network. The switch keeps limited information on routing nodes in the internal network and provides links to systems such as hubs or routers. Normally LAN beaches are linked by switches. Switches will usually read incoming packets ‘ hardware addresses to transfer them to their respective destinations. Switches improve the Network’s effectiveness over hubs or routers because of the flexibility of the digital circuit. Switches also improve network protection since network control makes digital circuits easier to investigate.

You can see a switch as a system that combines some of the best routers and hubs. A switch can operate on the interface Data Link or the OSI model’s network layer. A multi-layer switch can be worked in both layers, so both a switch and a router can work. A high-performance switch adopting the same routing procedures as routers is a multilayer switch. DDoS may attack switches; flood controls can be used to prevent malicious traffic from stopping the switch. The Switch port’s protection is crucial to make sure that all unused ports are deactivated, and DHCP, ARP, and MAC Address Filtering are used to ensure stable switches.

7. Modem

Digital signals are transmitted through analog phone lines using modems (modulator demodulators). The modem converts digital signals into analog signals of various frequencies and transmits them to a modem at the receiver location. The receiving modem turns the other way and provides a digital output to a device, normally a computer, connected to a modem. In most cases, digital data is transmitted via the RS-232 standard interface to or from a serial line modem. Most cable operators use modems as final terminals to locate and remember their homes and personal clients, and many phone companies provide DSL services. All physical and data link layers are operating on modems.

8. Brouter

The bridging router is also the device that combines bridge and router features. It can be used on the data connection layer or the network layer. It can route packets across networks as a router, function as a bridge, and filter network traffic in the local area.

Conclusion

So, in this article, we have seen different types of network devices. With a solid knowledge of the types of network devices, you can develop and build a secure network that is good for your company. Nonetheless, you need to carefully monitor your network devices and the behavior around them to ensure your network’s continued safety and reliability to quickly identify hardware problems, problems with configuration, and attacks.