Devices that mediate data transmission in a computer network
Networking hardware, also known asnetwork equipment orcomputer networking devices, are electronic devices that are required for communication and interaction between devices on acomputer network. Specifically, they mediatedata transmission in a computer network.[1] Units which are the last receiver or generate data are calledhosts,end systems ordata terminal equipment.
Networking devices include a broad range of equipment classified as core network components that interconnect other network components, hybrid components that can be found in the core or border of a network, and hardware or software components that typically sit on the connection point of different networks.[2]
One of the most common types of networking hardware today is acopper-based Ethernetadapter, which is a standard inclusion on most modern computer systems.Wireless networking has become increasingly popular, especially for portable and handheld devices.[3][4]
Taking a wider view,mobile phones,tablet computers and devices associated with theinternet of things may also be considered networking hardware. As technology advances andIP-based networks are integrated into building infrastructure and household utilities, network hardware will become an ambiguous term owing to the vastly increasing number of network-capable endpoints.[6][7][8]
Core network components interconnect other network components.
Gateway: an interface providing compatibility betweennetworks by converting transmission speeds, protocols, codes, or security measures.[9]
Router: a networking device that forwardsdata packets between computer networks. Routers perform thetraffic directing functions on theInternet. A data packet is typically forwarded from one router to another through the networks that constitute the internetwork until it reaches its destination node.[10] It works onOSI layer 3.[11]
Switch: a multi-port device that connects devices together at the same or different speeds on a computer network, by usingpacket switching to receive, process and forward data to the destination device. Unlike less advancednetwork hubs, a network switch forwards data only to one or multiple devices that need to receive it, rather than broadcasting the same data out of each of its ports.[12] It works onOSI layer 2.
Repeater: an electronic device that receives asignal and retransmits it at a higher level or higher power, or onto the other side of an obstruction, so that the signal can cover longer distances.[14]
Repeater hub: for connecting multipleEthernet devices together at the same speed, making them act as a single network segment. It has multipleinput/output (I/O) ports, in which asignal introduced at the input of anyport appears at the output of every port except the original incoming.[1] A hub works at thephysical layer (layer 1) of theOSI model[15] and all devices form a singlecollision domain. Repeater hubs also participate in collision detection, forwarding ajam signal to all ports if they detect acollision. Hubs are now largely obsolete, having been replaced bynetwork switches except in very old installations or specialized applications.
Bridge router (brouter): a device that works as a bridge and as a router. The brouter routes packets for known protocols and simply forwards all other packets as a bridge would.[17]
Hardware or software components that typically sit on the connection point of different networks (for example, between an internal network and an external network) include:
Proxy server: computernetwork service which allows clients to make indirect network connections to other network services.[18]
Firewall: a piece of hardware or software put on the network to prevent some communications forbidden by the network policy.[19] A firewall typically establishes a barrier between a trusted, secure internal network and another outside network, such as the Internet, that is assumed to not be secure or trusted.[20]
Network address translator (NAT): network service (provided as hardware or as software) that converts internal to external network addresses and vice versa.[21]
Modem: device that modulates an analogcarrier signal (such as sound) to encode digital information, and that also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. Used (for example) when a computer communicates with another computer over a telephone network.[24]
^Team, Editorial (September 4, 2019)."ISDN Terminal Adapter".NETWORK ENCYCLOPEDIA.Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. RetrievedFebruary 6, 2025.
^Team, Editorial (August 23, 2019)."Line Driver".NETWORK ENCYCLOPEDIA.Archived from the original on March 17, 2025. RetrievedFebruary 6, 2025.
