Network Devices


HUB :
  • Hub is a networking device which is used to connect multiple network hosts. A network hub is also used to do data transfer. The data is transferred in terms of packets on a computer network.
  • Hub is commonly used to connect segments of a LAN (Local Area Network).
  • A hub contains multiple ports. When a packet arrives at one port, it is copied to the other ports so that all segments of the LAN can see all packets. Hub acts as a common connection point for devices in a network.



SWITCH :
  • Switch operates at the data link layer (layer 2) and sometimes the network layer (layer 3) of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Reference Model and therefore support any packet protocol.
  • Like a hub, a switch also works at the layer of LAN (Local Area Network) but you can say that a switch is more intelligent than a hub.
  • While hub just does the work of data forwarding, a switch does ‘filter and forwarding’ which is a more intelligent way of dealing with the data packets.
  • So, when a packet is received at one of the interfaces of the switch, it filters the packet and sends only to the interface of the intended receiver.



ROUTER :
  • A router is connected to at least two networks, commonly two LANs or WANs (Wide Area Networks) or a LAN and its ISP.s (Internet Service Provider.s) network.
  • Router usually use the IP address to forward packet which allow the network to go across different protocols.
  • router uses protocols such as ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) to communicate with each other and configures the best route between any two hosts.
  • The most common home use for a router is to share a broadband internet connection.
  • As the router has public IP address which is shared with the network,when data comes through the router, it is forwarded to the correct address.



MODEM :
  • A modem stands for (Modulator+Demodulator). That means it modulates and demodulates the signal between the digital data of a computer and the analogue signal of a telephone line.
  • So if you have noticed around, you get an internet connection through a wire (there are different types of wires) to your house. This wire is used to carry our internet data outside to the internet world.
  • However, our computer generates binary data or digital data in forms of 1s and 0s and on the other hand, a wire carries an analog signal and that’s where a modem comes in.