Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
A network switch (also called switching hub, bridging hub, Ethernet switch, and, by the IEEE, MAC bridge [1]) is networking hardware that connects devices on a computer network by using packet switching to receive and forward data to the destination device.
Historically, the main reason for purchasing hubs rather than switches was their price. By the early 2000s, there was little price difference between a hub and a low-end switch. [11] Hubs can still be useful in special circumstances: For inserting a protocol analyzer into a network connection, a hub is an alternative to a network tap or port ...
Most commonly used inter-network processors are switches, bridges, hubs, routers and gateways. Switches act as interfaces for communication between telecommunications circuits in a networked environment. In addition, most modern switches have integrated network managing capabilities and may operate on numerous layers of the OSI reference model ...
A daisy chain is a group of connectivity devices linked together in a serial fashion. Hubs are often connected in this way to extend a network. However, hubs are not the only device that can be connected in a serial backbone. Gateways, routers, switches and bridges more commonly form part of the backbone. [14]
The difference between a layer-3 switch and a router is the way the device is making the routing decision. Conventionally, routers use microprocessors to make forwarding decisions in software, while the switch performs only hardware-based packet switching (by specialized ASICs with the help of content-addressable memory).
However, due to functional limitations, it is intended by Cisco to be used only as a learning aid, not a replacement for Cisco routers and switches. [9] The application itself only has a small number of features found within the actual hardware running a current Cisco IOS version. Thus, Packet Tracer is unsuitable for modelling production networks.
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!
A router in a local area network (LAN) of a single organization is called an interior router. A router that is operated in the Internet backbone is described as exterior router. While a router that connects a LAN with the Internet or a wide area network (WAN) is called a border router, or gateway router. [24]