Network Devices - Explained
Network devices, or networking hardware, are physical devices that are required for communication and interaction between hardware on a computer network. Hub: A hub connects individual devices on an Ethernet network so that they can communicate with one another. The hub operates by gathering the signals from individual network devices, optionally amplifying the signals, and then sending them onto all other connected devices. Hubs operate at the physical layer (Layer 1) of the OSI model. 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 and routers. Generally, switches can read the hardware address of incoming packets to transmit them to the appropriate destination. A switch operates at the data link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model. Router: Routers can filter traffic
