Download NAME: NWOSU CHIOMA GLORY LEVEL:100 COLLEGE: LAW

NAME: NWOSU CHIOMA GLORY
LEVEL:100
COLLEGE: LAW
COURSE: INTRODUCTION TO
INFORMATION AND
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
COURSE CODE: GST 115
LECTURER: MR. ABIODUN
OGUNTIMILEHIN
QUESTION: DESCRIBE TEN
EXAMPLES OF CONNECTIVITY
HARDWARE
Describe 10 examples of connectivity hardware
The examples of connectivity hardware are explained below:
HUBS: These are connective devices that come in all sizes and shapes and
are available in a wide range of prices. They are “daisy chained “ together
using short connection cables often referred to as a rat tail to the current
hub. They do not contain any active electronics and make use of star
topology. They are LANs (Local Area Networks) that provide greater port
density. They are also known as reporters. They are of two categories
which are: Active and Passive hubs.
REPEATERS: They are electronic devices that receive signals and retransmit them. At a first glance, they look complicated but when taken
apart piece by piece it becomes very easy to understand, it is not
complicated. It is a ‘duplexed’ two-way radio set that listens on one
frequency, and re-transmits what it hears on another frequency. They regenerate analog or digital signals distorted by transmission loss.
BRIDGES: This is an interworking device that helps conserve the
bandwidth available on the network. When LANs begin to grow, network
data traffic can overwhelm the available bandwidth on network media by
chopping the network up into smaller segments, which are connected to a
bridge. Bridges are smaller than hubs and repeaters and use software as a
help to do their job. They can read MAC addresses (hardware addresses)
as well. They keep data traffic that is local to a particular segment from
spreading to other network segments serviced by the bridge.
SWITCHES: This is another interworking device that manages the
bandwidth on a large network.they are rapidly becoming one of the most
used connecting devices for connecting even smaller networks, because they
allow control over the use of bandwidth on the network. They are also
known as “bridge on steroids”, because they control the flow of data using
the MAC address placed on each data packet. They divide data networks
into Virtual Local Area Networks or VLANs ( a local grouping of
computers on the network into a sort of communication group. The
computers do not have to be close to each other and they combine
software and hardware to switch packets between computers and other
devices on the networks.
ROUTERS: They have a very sophisticated Operating System (OS) that
allows configuration of their various connection parts and are even smarter
than bridges and switches. They segment LANs that have become very
large and congested with data traffic. They also connect remote LANs
together using different WAN technologies.they divide large networks into
logical segments called subnets.they only forward data meant for other
subnets on the extended networks to help conserve network bandwidth. They
forward data packets based on a routing table, and use protocols built in to
their Operating System to identify neighbouring routers and their network
addresses such as IP addresses.
GATEWAY: These are interface networks that use different protocols. Think
of a gateway as a router that includes protocol translators. Gateways and
routers are often used interchangeably but only gateways make it possible
to connect networks using different protocols. However, any network that
includes a mainframe system needs a gateway since this type of network
uses different protocols.
MODEMS: The term itself combines the first two letters of modulator and
the first three letters of de-modulator which means it is a device used to
modulate and demodulate data signals. It encodes digital computer signals
into analog/analogue telephone signals and vice versa and also allows
computers to communicate over a phone line. Modems can be used as a
dial up for LAN or to connect to an ISP. It could be external as in the
device which connects to a USB (Universal Serial Bus) or the serial port
of computer or proprietary device for hand held gadgets and other devices
as well as internal in the form of add-in expansion cards for computers .
BROUTERS: Asi the name implies, it is a combination of bridges and
routers. They take up both the functions of networking devices serving as a
bridge when forwarding data between networks, and serving serving as a
router when routing data to individual systems. They function as a filter
that allows some data into the local network and re-direct unknown data to
the other network. They are rare and their function is embedded into the
routers routers functioned to act as bridges as well.
NETWORK CARDS: it is known also Network Interface Cards (NICs) are
hardware devices that connect a computer with the network. They are
installed on the mother board, and are responsible for developing a physical
connection between the network and the computer. Computer data is
translated into electrical signals and sent to the network via NIC .
NETWORK PROTOCOL: They define a language of instructions for
communication between the network devices. It is essential for a networked
computer to have one or more protocol drivers. For two or more computers
to interconnect on a network, they must use identical protocols. At times, a
computer is programmed to use multiple protocols. Network protocols like
HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol), IP (Internet Provider) offer a basis
on which much of the internet stands.
REFERENCES.
How to get started with modems, p.72 (1993)
Telecommunications study.com
Understanding Networking Hardware by Joe Habraken Nov. 7, 2003.