computer hardware

computer hardware

1. router

   • connects all devices in a network. and it is also used to send packets in frames to other networks

2. WAP

   • Allows you to connect devices to a network via WI-FI The WAP can then be connected to a switch/ router and acts as if it where connected by a wire Devices that connect to the WAP still have a MAC & IP address for use on the network

3. switch

   • A Switch is designed to transfer Frames inside a Network. A switch is not as clever as a Router. It doesn’t know about devices on other networks, it can only recognise devices that its connected to. A switch will only look at the MAC address of the frame. It is not interested in the packets

4. hub

   • Isn’t an intelligent device it doesn’t know what data its receiving or who its for Transmits a copy of the frame to every device its connected to. Taking up unnecessary bandwidth

5. packets & frames

   • packets are data that have been split in order to transfer better. frames are what packets are put in to be transferred