Common+Network+Devices

Orla O'Neill

=__Common Network Devices__=


 * __What is it?__**

A network is a group of computers connected by electrical circuits. The primary purpose of a network is to share and exchange data and share hardware and software among the users. A network device is basically a device which helps communicate, control data flow etc. on a network. Network devices are also known as communication devices as they help make up the data communication on a network. Here are a couple of examples of common network devices.

The hub allows each device to communicate with each other. These devices connect all the pieces of the network together, which means every device on the network (printer, computer) has a cable that is connected to the hub. A switch is like a hub in that every device on the network is connected to it. A switch makes a direct link between the device that is sending and the device that is recieving. All other devices on the network are unaware that the communication is taking place. (The difference between a hub and switch is that a hub does not go directly to its destination and a switch knows exactly where it's going so it goes directly there. A switch .)
 * __Hubs:__ [[image:hub.JPG width="109" height="76"]]**
 * __Bridge:__** A bridge joins two networks so far as data packets are concerned, it just looks like large network.
 * __Switches:__ [[image:switch.jpg width="243" height="209"]]**

This is a web server between a web page and a user's browser that is used to save frequently used data from a website so that it can be accessed easily. They are commonly used in networks that have slow connections or a lot of data.
 * __Proxy Server:__ [[image:proxy_server_hardware_config.png width="235" height="193"]]**

=Extra Devices- *Not on Syllabus*=

A gateway is a network point that acts an an entrance to another network. On the internet, a stopping point can either be a gateway or a host (end-point). The computers that control traffic within your network or at your local internet provider serve as a gateway also.
 * __Gateway:__**

(**__Wireless Access Point)- WAP:__** This device allows mobile phone, radio, email and instant messaging users to connect to a central network without using any wires.