Connecting Devices

•LANs or WANs do not normally operate in isolation.

•They are connected to one another or to the Internet.
•To connect LANs and WANs together we use connecting
devices.
•Connecting devices can operate in different layers of the
Internet model
 Connecting devices
• Repeater
• Hub
• Bridges
• Switch
• Router
• Gateway
 Repeater
• A repeater is a device that operates only in the physical
layer. Signals that carry information within a network can
travel a fixed distance before attenuation endangers the
integrity of the data.
• A repeater receives a signal and, before it becomes too
weak or corrupted, regenerates and retimes the original
bit pattern. The repeater then sends the refreshed signal.
• In the past, when Ethernet LANs were using bus topology,
a repeater was used to connect two segments of a LAN to
overcome the length restriction of the coaxial cable.
 Hub
• Hubs connect multiple computer networking devices together.
• A hub also acts as a repeater in that it amplifies signals that
deteriorate after traveling long distances over connecting
cables.
• A hub is the simplest in the family of network connecting
devices because it connects LAN components with identical
protocols.
• A hub can be used with both digital and analog data.
• Hubs do not perform packet filtering or addressing functions;
they just send data packets to all connected devices. Hubs
operate at the Physical layer of the OSI model
 Bridges
• A bridge operates in both the physical and the data
link layers.
• As a physical-layer device, it regenerates the signal it
receives.
• As a data link layer device, the bridge can check the
MAC addresses (source and destination) contained
in the frame.
• A bridge has filtering capability. It can check the
destination address of a frame and can decide from
which outgoing port the frame should be send out.
 Transparent Bridges
• A transparent bridge is a bridge in which the stations
are completely unaware of the bridge’s existence. If a
bridge is added or deleted from the system,
reconfiguration of the stations is unnecessary.
• According to the IEEE 802.1d specification, a system
equipped with transparent bridges must meet three
criteria:
1. Frames must be forwarded from one station to another.
2. The forwarding table is automatically made by learning
frame movements in the network.
3. Loops in the system must be prevented.
• A transparent bridge must correctly forward the
frames
 Switch
• Switches generally have a more intelligent role than hubs.
• A switch is a multiport device that improves network efficiency. The
switch maintains limited routing information about nodes in the internal
network, and it allows connections to systems like hubs or routers.
• Switches also improve network security because the virtual circuits are
more difficult to examine with network monitors.
• A switch is a device that has some of the best capabilities of routers and
hubs combined.
• A switch can work at either the Data Link layer (Layer 2 Switch) or the
Network layer (Layer 3switch) of the OSI model.
• A multilayer switch is one that can operate at both layers, which means
that it can operate as both a switch and a router. A multilayer switch is a
high-performance device that supports the same routing protocols as
routers.
 Routers
• A router is a three-layer device; it operates in the physical, data
link, and network layers.
• As a physical layer device, it regenerates the signal it receives.
• As a data link layer device, the router checks the physical
addresses (source and destination) contained in the packet.
• As a network layer device, a router checks the network layer
addresses (addresses in the IP layer).
• A router can connect LANs together; a router can connect WANs
together; and a router can connect LANs and WANs together.
• In other words, a router is an internetworking device; it connects
independent networks together to form an internetwork.
 Gateway
• Gateway is a network hardware device that is used for making
communication in between two networks with
different transmission protocol together, and it is an entry and
exit “Gate” for the networks that helps to bypass the all data
with the gateway prior to being routed.
• Gateways can be used for both WAN and LAN interconnects.
• The gateway acts as a “Translator” in between two different
systems that is used dissimilar communication protocols, data
format or different architectures.
• It may be a server, router, firewall or other network device that
allows to flow the traffic in and out of the network.
Types of Gateways in Networking
• There are two different types of network
gateways which are divided on the basis of
direction of data flow-
– Unidirectional Gateways
– Bidirectional Gateways
• Unidirectional Gateways:
– These gateways allow to broadcast the data only single direction.
All changes are made in the source terminal, and they are
replicated to destination node or application. But, they do not
permit any change in the destination node are not replicated in
the source node. These types of gateway work as archiving tools.
• Bidirectional Gateways:
– Bidirectional gateways are capable to flow the data in both
directions. In these gateways, all changes are made to the source
node are replicated in the destination and vice-versa. These types
of tools are capable to perform all tasks as synchronization tools.