Connecting Devices - Hub, Repeater,

Switch, Bridge, Router, Gateway

To understand what connecting devices are, it is important to know about
Backbone Networks. Backbone Network is a means of connecting 2 LANs. It
provides a transmission channe for packets from being transmitted from one
LAN to the other. The individua LANs are connected to the Backbone Network
b! using some t!pes of devices such as "ubs, #epeaters, $witches, Bridges,
#outers and %atewa!s.
Athough these terms sound famiiar, not man! of us know the purpose of using
these devices difference between these devices. "ence, it is ver! important to
know the basic function of these devices in order to decide upon the device
that is to be used for a particuar purpose.
Hub
A hub works in the ph!sica a!er of the &$I mode. It is basica! a non'
inteigent device, and has no decision making capabiit!. (hat a "ub basica!
does is take the input data from one of the ports and broadcast the information
to a the other ports connected to the network.

)ig *+ , port network
To demonstrate its working, consider a , port network as shown in )ig *. There
are , computers connected to the , ports. $uppose, if -omputer A wants to
send some data to -omputer B using a "ub, then, -omputer A broadcasts the
data on the network, and -omputer B, being connected to the network, has
access to the data. But, in this case a the other ports connected to the
network has access to the data that is being transmitted b! -omputer A. This
happens because, the "ub works in the .h!sica La!er and hence it does not
know about the /A- addresses of the ports connected to the network. $o,
there is a ack of securit! in the "ub.

)ig 2+ 0$B "ub
The picture shows a 0$B "ub, wherein the data is fed into the input port and is
broadcasted to a the other , ports. The Network "ubs are outdated and are
out of the market.
Repeater
A repeater is a device simiar to the "ub, but has additiona features. It aso
works in the .h!sica a!er. The repeaters are used in paces where
ampification of input signa is necessar!. But, the kind of ampification done b!
the repeater is different from the reguar ampification b! ampifiers. The
reguar ampifies ever!thing fed into it. That means, if the input signa has
noise induced into it, both the desired signa and noise signa are together
ampified. But, in the case of a repeater, it regenerates the input signa, and
ampifies on! the desirabe signa. "ence, the noise component of the signa is
eiminated.

)ig 1+ #epeater
The repeaters are necessar! since, during the transmission of the signas over
ong distances, the signa has attenuation, dea! distortions and noise, which
ead in oss of data. "ence, in order to prevent this, the regenerative repeaters
are used. "ence, the repeater regenerates the faded signa. In addition, it has
a the features of a "ub. &ne common probem between the repeaters and the
"ubs are that on! one transmission can take pace on the network at a
particuar time. If mutipe devices transmit data simutaneous!, there wi be
data coision.
Switch
A switch is an inteigent device that works in the data ink a!er. The term
inteigent refers to the decision making capacit! of the $witch. $ince it works
in the 2ata ink a!er, it has knowedge of the /A- addresses of the ports in the
network.

)ig ,+ $witch
"ence, in the )ig *, if data has to be sent from -omputer A to -omputer B,
then, the data is transferred to the -omputer - on!, and not to an! other
computers connected on the network. "ence, it estabishes a ink between the
sender and the receiver based on the /A- addresses. This aso means that
when data is being sent from A to B, -omputer - can estabish a ink with
-omputer 2 and communication can take pace between them. $o,
simutaneous data transfer is possibe in a switch. Aso, "ub divides bandwidth,
but a $witch does not.
It is aso to be noted that a switch is a secure device, because it sends
information on! to the desired destinations, and aso certain securit! features
such as firewas can be impemented in the $witches.
Bridge
A bridge is aso a device which works in the 2ata Link La!er, but is more
primitive when compared to a switch. Initia bridges were used to connect on!
2 LANs, but the most recent ones perform simiar operation as the switches. It
aso works on the principe of transfer of information using the /A- addresses
of the ports.

)ig 3+ Bridge
It can be noted is that the norma A2$L modem can be connected via bridging
aso. The on! difference is that, when bridging is used, each time the device
has to be connected to the internet, it has to dia to the internet and estabish
a connection. Aso, a bridge aone cannot be used to connect to the internet,
because, the bridge works in the 2ata Link La!er, and has no knowedge of the
I. Addresses, which are used in the Internet.
Router
An! computer can be connected to the internet via /&24/, which performs the
/&2uation and the 24/oduation operations. But, when there are more than
one computer at home or in an organi5ation, and !ou have a singe internet
connection, !ou need a #outer. #outer is a device which is used when mutipe
devices need to connect to the Internet using the same I..
An! Internet $ervice .rovider 6I$.7 provides a singe I., and especia! for
persona use, the I. address is assigned d!namica!. This is done because,
suppose, an I$. has *888 I. addresses, it does not mean that it has *888
customers. An I$. assumes that not a devices wi be connected to the
internet at the same time. "ence, when a user wants to access the internet,
an! I. address from the poo of I. addresses from the I$. wi be assigned to
connect the user to the internet.

)ig 9+ #outer
"ence, the router does the :ob of connecting mutipe devices in a LAN to the
internet using the same I. address. $ince the router works in the Network
La!er, it does forwarding on the basis of I. addresses.
The (i)i routers that are common! used now are the I444 ;82.** b<g standard
router, which is e=pained beow.
IEEE 802.11
I444 ;82.** is a standard for (i)i. There are severa different technoogies<
generations that have been impemented. As mentioned, the recent modems
are I444 ;82.** b<g modems. The word b<g has the meaning as foows+
An I444 ;82.** b standard uses 2.,%"5 band and has a ma=imum transfer rate
of ** /bps, whie the I444 ;82.** g standard uses 2., %"5 band and has
ma=imum transfer rate of 3, /bps. Thus the b<g modem refers to a dua
bandwidth modem, which is compatibe with both the b and g standards. The
standards are main! differentiated based on the distance and speed of data
transfer.
The more recent I444 ;82.** N standard has the capabiit! to provide speeds of
over *88 /bps. It basica! uses mutipe wireess signas and antennas, and has
increased signa intensit! in order to be abe to provide network for greater
distances. It empo!s /I/& technoog!, wherein spatia encoding is used. The
spatia pre'coding is done at the transmitter and the post'coding is done at the
receiver. #ecent!, #eiance -ommunications was in news for impementing
/I/& technoog! to improve its 1% data transfer speeds.
Gateway
The %atewa! devices work in the Transport a!er and above, where the
different network technoogies are impemented. A gatewa! is necessar! when
there are different technoogies impemented b! the different LANs which are
to be connected together.
)ig >+ %atewa! function
The )ig > shows the working of a gatewa!. -onsider 2 networks, sa! in New
?ork, and a network in London. If data has to be sent from one pace to
another, we need to ensure that the network technoogies that are being used
b! both the networks are the same. If not, we need to use a %atewa!.
In the more common e=ampe, we use a teephone network and internet
networks, which works on different technoogies. The teephone network
foows the I$2N, and the Internet foows the I.. "ere, 2 different technoogies
are being used. In this case, the router fais to work, since the router cannot
understand the functionaities of both the networks. "ence, we re@uire a
%atewa!, which acts as a transator in communicating between the 2 networks.
Connecting Cable
(hie connecting different networks, we come across different connecting
cabes, which are as foows+
*. #A,3< #A ** -onnectors+ The #A,3 6#egistered Aack ,37 cabe or the -at
3 cabe, is used to connect the two different LANs together. This is
norma! confused with the #A** cabe, which is used in the
interconnections in the teephone network.
2. -rossover cabes+ -rossover cabes are genera! used when 2 different
computers are to be connected together. The! get the name because, in
these cabes, a crossover is made between the Transmitter and #eceiver
ports, i.e., Transmitter of one end of the cabe is connected to the
#eceiver port at the other end and vice versa.
1. Nu /odem -abes+ The nu modem cabes are aso those which are
used in connecting 2 different computers to form a network. The! aso
have a crossover, but genera!, the term nu modem cabes are used for
#$212 standard cabes.
,. &ptica )ibres+ The optica fibres are used when gigabit 4thernet is used,
and ver! high rates of data transmission is necessar!.

)ig ;+ -onnecting -abes
Su!!ary
The features of the connecting devices can be e=pained in brief as foows+
"ub' Broadcasts data from one port to a other ports in the network.
#epeater' #egenerates the input data which is sub:ected to attenuation.
$witch' Inteigent device which sends data to particuar port.
Bridge'$ame function as switch but much more primitive and has esser
ports.
#outer'-onnects a computers from a LAN to internet using same I..
I444 ;82.**' (i)i standard' ;82.** b has speed of ** /bps, ;82.** g has
a speed of 3, /bps and ;82.** N uses mutipe wireess signas and
antennas and has speeds of over *88/bps.
%atewa!'Needed when 2 different network technoogies are being used.
Acts as transator.
-onnecting -abes' #A **6Teephone -abe7, #A ,3 6LAN -abe7, Twisted
pair cabes6used in connecting 2 computers7, Nu /odem -abe6#$2127 ,
&ptia )ibre -abe6%igabit 4thernet7.
'o'
Posted 24th October 2011 by Pavan Kumar P N
Labels: Router Hub Computer Netor!s "lectron#cs $""" %02&11 b'( Connect#n( Cables
Repeater $""" %02&11 N )#tch *ateay +r#d(e
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1&
ADESH ANAND ,ecember 1-. 2012 at 10:2- /0
than1 praveen&
!eep (o#n(
may (od bless u