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Networking Devices


Networking devices are those which are used to connect different computers and related accessories to the computer networks. The devices are Repeater, Bridge, Hub, Switch, Router, Gateways etc.

In the above devices some will filter the network traffic and some will not. Some devices which pass on the traffic it receives without taking a decision about where to forward are known as the devices which do not filter the traffic such as Repeater and Hub. But some devices process the information which came along the packet and forwards the packet accordingly are known as the devices which filter the network traffic such as Switch, Router and Gateway etc.


Networking devices will fall under the following categories:

  1. Those which operate below the Physical layer such as Passive Hub
  2. Those which operate at the Physical layer such as Active Hub and Repeater
  3. Those which operate at the Physical and Data Link layer such as Bridge and Switch (layer-two)
  4. Those which operate at the Physical, Data Link and Network layer such as Router and three-layer Switch
  5. Those which operate in all the layers such as Gateway

What you mean by devices working in different layers?

When a packet is passing through each of layers in TCP/IP reference model based software suite, each of the layer add some information to the packet and that information is removed by the peer layer at the receiving end. So when we tell that a networking device is working at a specif layer, it means that device processes or understands or work on the information added in that layer in the packet.

For example it is said that Bridge and Switch (layer-two) operate in the Data Link layer it means that they act upon the information added at the Data Link Layer. Which information is added at the Data Link layer? It is the physical address of the source and destination. When a Bridge or Swtich takes a decision on routing packet to different ports, it decides by looking at the physical address of the destination device which is present at the received packet. Similarly Routers will act upon information added in the Network Layer and it is IP address which is added in the Network layer to the packet. So routers use the IP address of the destination device to route the packet.

Know about Repeater and Hub

Routing Packets in Internet<< Previous

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