Hardware Devices
These are layer 3 (network layer) devices that determine the best route for traffic between networks.
What is a Router?
This is a network appliance that acts as a management console for multiple network access points. It also allows connection of access points to the network without without configuring each one individually.
What is a Could Based Network Controller?
A layer 2 (data link layer) device that connects two network segments and controls traffic moving between them.
What is a Bridge?
Switches are layer 2 (data link layer) devices that interconnect hosts on a local area network using the mac address of each host to make decisions about forwarding traffic.
What is a Switch?
This security appliance filters traffic, permitting or blocking traffic through it based on a configured set of rules and inspection of network traffic.
What is a Firewall?
A physical panel with multiple connections points used as a central location to interconnected devices and ports on a network. This allows for an organized cabling structure to managed dozens or hundreds of interconnections.
What is a Patch Panel?
Managed Switches are configurable and have features that allow a network administrator to optimize and customize the switch. They typically have better monitoring options than unmanaged switches.
What is a Managed Switch?
A device used to extend a signal being sent to provide additional coverage.
What is a Repeater?
A technology, usually incorporated into switches, that delivers power to devices over data lines (ethernet) rather than have a separate power cord.
What is Power Over Ethernet (POE)?
Unmanaged Switches are not configurable, sometimes referred to as plug-and-play. Since they cannot be configured, they are designed to allow hosts to connect automatically when when plugged into the switch, but that can come at the expense of performance.
What is an Unmanaged Switch?
An older technology layer 1 (physical layer) device that simply connects hosts together. Hubs have no intelligence and do not recognize MAC addresses, so they just send traffic coming in one port out on every other port.
What is a Hub?
A PoE injector is used to add power to a power cable going to a PoE device like an IP phone or IP camera. A Poe switch is a network switch that provides power to its ethernet ports to power PoE devices.
What are Injectors and Switch?
An Access Point is technically any device to which a host can connect in order to access network. So, while the access point might be a switch, the term usually refers to a wireless access point that allows WIFI devices to connect to the network.
What Are Access Points?
A device used to connect to an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
What is Cable/DSL Modem?
A technology that uses standard electrical wiring to interconnect Ethernet devices.
Ethernet Over Power (EoP)