BO2

 Network Devices

1) Repeater

A repeater operates at the physical layer and regenerates signals to prevent them from becoming weak. It does not amplify the signal.

Hub

A hub is essentially a multiport repeater that connects multiple wires. However, it cannot filter data, so data packets are sent to all connected devices.

Types of Hub

- Active Hub: These hubs have their own power supply and can clean, boost, and relay signals along with the network.

- Passive Hub: These hubs collect wiring from nodes and receive power supply from active hubs.

- Intelligent Hub: Similar to active hubs, intelligent hubs also have remote management capabilities. They allow administrators to monitor traffic passing through the hub and configure settings.

Switches

Switches are multiport bridges with buffers. They can perform error checking before forwarding data.

Router

A router is a device similar to a switch that routes data packets based on their IP addresses. It primarily operates at the Network Layer.

Hubs and Network Bandwidth

Network bandwidth refers to the amount of data that can be transferred within a given interval. When all computers are connected to a hub, they must share the available bandwidth provided by the hub.

Wireless Access Points (WAP)

The heart of a wireless network is the wireless access point (WAP).

Network Interface Card (NIC)

Most NICs are built into a computer's motherboard. When a frame arrives at a NIC, it checks the frame's destination MAC address to see if it matches its built-in MAC address.

NIC Driver

Most operating systems come with drivers for a wide range of NICs.

Wireless NICs

Wireless NICs must be chosen based on the type of wireless access point (AP) being used. They connect to the network using a service set identifier (SSID).

Router

Routers are devices that enable multiple LANs to communicate with each other.

Router Work with IP Address and Routing Table

A router uses IP addresses and a routing table to determine where to send packets. If the router doesn't have an entry for a specific destination, it uses a default route. If the network cannot be found and there is no default route, a "network unreachable" message is sent.

Default Gateway

The default gateway is a configuration in a computer's IP address settings.