Network Peripherals
- NIC - Network interface card is like an expansion board, which is inserted into the computer to connect to a network. Most NICs are designed to work with a specific network, protocol, and medium, although some NICs are also built to be used with different networks.
- Bridge - Bridge is used to connect two LANs together in such a situation, when their software is the same but the computers are of different types. Once the LAN is connected through a bridge with the help of a port, then many other devices are easily connected. Bridge works exclusively at the datalink level. The higher the number of nodes, the lower will be the speed of data transfer and the only way to keep the rate of data transfer high is to install a bridge.
- Hub - Hub is used to connect different computers with the same point by cable. It acts as the central controlling device on the star network. It is a rectangular box in which holes are made for plugins, which are called ports. In these ports, all the cables of the computers are plugged in. It is of three types – Dumb, Intelligent and Smart.
- Router - It is used when connecting very complex networks. For example- Internet protocol, data transmission during the use of this medium is possible only when the protocol is the same. Even if the computer and software are of different types, routers can do their work. It works better than bridge. It adopts short route of data transfer so that the task can be completed in minimum time.
- Repeater - When information signals travel from one place to another, they become attenuated. Repeater is used to accelerate them. Signals received from one network are sent to another network, these signals can be text or even voice. Repeater mainly works on the bit level. Repeater works between two networks only when the mechanism of both the networks is same, this means that both the computer and the software installed in it are same.
- Gateway - The mechanism of Gateway is of higher quality than that of Router. It can usually connect two different networks. Suppose you have multiple network operating systems, such as Unix and DOS, in this case you will need a gateway to connect these two networks. Special types of hardware and software are used in the gateway system.
