Connecting A Network Part 2

Network Hardware / Equipment

1.File Server
2.Workstation
3.Network Interface Cards
4.Concentrator/Hubs
5.Switch
6.Repeater
7.Bridges
8.Routers

1.File Server

As the name implies, a file server is a sever that provides access to files. It acts as a central file storage location that can be accessed by multiple systems. File servers are commonly found in enterprise settings, such as company networks, but they are also used in schools, small organizations, and even home networks.

Figure 1: File Server

2. Workstation

A workstation is a special computer designed for technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by one person at a time, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems.

Figure 2: Workstation

3.Network Interface Cards

A network interface card (NIC) is a circuit board or cardthat is installed in a computer so that it can be connected to a network. A network interface card provides the computer with a dedicated, full-time connection to anetwork.

Figure 3: Network Interface Cards


4. Concentrator /Hub

As generally used, a concentrator is a device that acts as an efficient forwarder of data transmission signals. A remote access hub is sometimes referred to as a concentrator. The term aggregator is also frequently used with approximately the same meaning. A typical concentrator or remote access hub is a device that handles incoming dial-up calls for an Internet (or other network) point-of-presence and performs other services. A concentrator or hub may be able to handle up to 100 dial-up modem calls, support a certain number of ISDN connections.

Figure 4: Concentrator /Hub

5.Switch

In a telecommunications network, a switch is a device that channels incoming data from any of multiple input ports to the specific output port that will take the data toward its intended destination. In the traditional circuit-switched telephone network, one or more switches are used to set up a dedicated though temporary connection or circuit for an exchange between two or more parties. On an Ethernet local area network (LAN), a switch determines from the physical device (Media Access Control or MAC) address in each incoming message frame which output port to forward it to and out of. In a wide area packet-switched network such as the Internet, a switch determines from the IP address in each packet which output port to use for the next part of its trip to the intended destination.

Figure 5: Switch

6.Repeater 

In digital communication systems, a repeater is a device that receives a digital signal on an electromagnetic or optical transmission medium and regenerates the signal along the next leg of the medium. In electromagnetic media, repeaters overcome the attenuation caused by free-space electromagnetic-field divergence or cable loss. A series of repeaters make possible the extension of a signal over a distance

Figure 6: Repeater (Wifi)

7.Bridges

A bridge is a type of computer network device that provides interconnection with other bridge networks that use the same protocol. Bridge devices work at the data link layer of the Open System Interconnect (OSI) model, connecting two different networks together and providing communication between them.

Figure 7: Bridges

8.Routers

A router is a networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks. Routers perform the traffic directing functions on the Internet. A data packet is typically forwarded from one router to another router through the networks that constitute an internetwork until it reaches its destination node.

Figure 8: Router