Network equipment is used to combine, split, switch, boost, or direct packets of information along a computer or telecommunications network. This product area includes hubs, switches, routers, bridges, gateways, multiplexers, transceivers and firewalls. In addition to device type, network equipment is defined by protocol (e.g., Ethernet) and port or interface type (e.g., T1). These concepts are described below.
How Network Equipment Works
Networking equipment interconnects devices so that data can be shared between them. The layout or topology of these connected devices describes the network's design or structure. Common topologies for computer networks include bus, ring, star, tree, and mesh. Hybrid topologies are also used.
In wireless networks, devices communicate via radio waves and do not require physical connections. In wired networks, cables are used. These cables are equipped with connectors for a specific port or interface type. For example, attachment unit interface (AUI) cables are equipped with 15-pin connectors that mate with a 15-pin receptacle on network transceivers.
Computer networks handle data according to protocols that are fundamental mechanisms for network communications. Network protocols specify the software attributes of data communications, including the structure of packets and the information contained therein. Depending upon the type of network, packets may be called blocks, cells, frames or segments. Network protocols may also prescribe some or all of the operational characteristics of the network hardware on which they run.
