1.3.9

Network Hardware

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Network Hardware

We need a wide variety of different hardware to build an effective network.

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Network Interface Controller (NIC)

  • A NIC provides a connection between the device and the network.
  • The NIC will take a different form based on the transmission media used. For example:
    • The NIC will usually have an RJ45 port for wired networks.
    • The NIC will have a radio transmitter/receiver for wireless networks.
  • Nowadays, most NICs are built directly into the motherboard of a computer.
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Switch

  • A switch connects together several devices to form a wired network.
  • Each computer on the network has its own unique address, called a Media Access Control (MAC) address.
  • When data is sent on the network, it includes the sender and recipient address.
  • The switch learns the MAC addresses of the devices connected to it, so that it can send the data to the intended destination only.
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Router

  • A router is a piece of hardware which connects networks together.
  • Routers work by inspecting the destination Internet Protocol (IP) address of the data being sent, and determining if it belongs to the local network.
    • If the data does not belong to the local network, it will be sent to the connected network.
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Wireless Access Point (WAP)

  • A WAP is a piece of hardware which connects to a switch and allows WiFi devices to connect to the network.
  • WAPs broadcast an SSID (network name) so that wireless devices know which network to join.
  • It is important that WAPs use encryption and authentication so that unauthorised individuals do not take advantage of the network.

Transmission Media

Transmission media are different ways of physically transferring data along a network.

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Twisted-pair copper cable

  • This is often referred to as 'Ethernet cable'.
  • Inside the cable, there are eight wires which are twisted into pairs. This is to reduce interference from other signals and improve transmission speed.
  • Twisted cables have different ratings to indicate how quickly data can be transferred.
    • E.g. Cat-5e can transmit at 1 Gbps.
    • E.g. Cat-6 can transmit at 10 Gbps.
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Fibre-optic cable

  • Fibre-optic cables are made of thin strands of glass which transmit binary data as pulses of light.
  • Fibre-optic cables have many advantages:
    • Do not suffer interference.
    • Very high bandwidth (100Tbps).
  • Because of the lack of interference, fibre-optic cabling is appropriate for long distance communication such as undersea cabling.
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Radio waves

  • Radio waves are the transmission media of wireless networking.
    • E.g. WiFi.
    • E.g. Bluetooth.
  • The amplitude (strength) of a radio wave decreases as it moves further from its transmitter. This is why WiFi signal loses strength further away from a WAP.
  • Radio waves are also subject to interference from other radio signals of similar frequency. Wireless access points (WAPs) often check for frequency channels that are least congested before starting a broadcast.
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Coaxial cable

  • Coaxial cable is a wired transmission media where an insulated copper wire is surrounded by a metal mesh to protect it from interference.
    • This is most often used for cable television.

Jump to other topics

1Computer Systems

1.1Systems Architecture

1.2Memory & Storage

1.3Computer Networks, Connections & Protocols

1.4Network Security

1.5Systems Software

1.6Ethical, Legal, Cultural & Environmental Concern

2Computational Thinking, Algorithms and Programming

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