ECEN 3224: Lab Module 2

NETWORK DEVICES
Mc Winley Gallemit, ECE
Repeater

Repeaters work against attenuation, which is the

degradation of signal clarity, by repeating signals that they
receive on the network, typically cleaning and regenerating
the digital transmission in the process.
Since repeaters work with the actual physical signal, and
do not attempt to interpret the data being transmitted, they
are Physical layer (Layer 1) devices on the OSI model.
Hubs

A hub is a generic connection device used to tie several

networking cables together to create a link between
different stations on a network.
When all stations are connected to a central hub, the
topology is known as star.
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Repeaters and Hubs
Advantages
 Repeaters and hubs can extend a network’s total distance
 Repeaters and hubs do not seriously affect networks
performace
 Certain repeaters can connect networks using different
physical media
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Repeaters and Hubs
Disadvantages
 Repeaters and hubs cannot connect different
architectures like Token Ring
 Repeaters and hubs do not reduce network traffic
 Repeaters and hubs do not segment network
Wireless Access Point

Wireless access points provide cell-based areas where

wireless clients such as laptops and smartphones can
connect to the network by associating with the access point.
Although wireless access points operate at the Physical
and Data Link layers of the OSI model, in most respects, a
wireless access point functions exactly like a hub.
Bandwidth on the access point is shared so as more client
associate with an access point, the available bandwidth per
client decreases.
Wireless Standards and Organizations

Wi-Fi Alliance – a non-profit organization created on

1999 to drive the adoption of a single worldwide wireless
standard – IEEE 802.11
Standard Frequency Band (GHz) Data Rates (Mbps)
Original 802.11 2.4 2
802.11b 2.4 11
802.11a 5 54
802.11g 2.4 54
802.11n 2.4 / 5 450
802.11ac 5 1300
Wireless Network Components

Wi-Fi Modes
 Adhoc mode – wireless clients connects directly with each
other without an access point
 Infrastructure mode – wireless clients attach wirelessly to
an access point which is connected to a switch so that
clients will have access to the LAN and WAN
 Basic Service Set (BSS) – when a single access point is in the
network
 Extended Service Set (ESS) – when multiple access points are
connected in the network
Wireless Security

Wireless clients search for available access points in the

area which broadcasts their network names, also called the
Service Set Identifier (SSID).
802.11 Security Type of Encryption Uses
WEP (Wired Equivalent Lower level encryption: Home
Privacy) RC4 algorithm, static key
WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Higher level encryption: Home and Small
Access) TKIP algorithm, dynamic Office
keys
WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Highest level of Small Office and
Access version 2) encryption: AES Businesses
algorithm, dynamic keys,
802.1x/EAP
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Wireless Access Points
Advantages
 Wireless devices provide the ability to work anywhere
within range of your access points
 Wireless extends the range of your network without
running additional wires except the ones from the access
point to the switch
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Wireless Access Points
Disadvantages
 Wireless introduces serious security concerns into the
network environment
 802.11 provides much less bandwidth than wired devices
 Many situations exist where 802.11 will not function well
due to serious interference from various sources
Network Segmentation

 Segments – a part of a network that is divided logically or

physically from the rest of the network
 Segmentation – the breaking down of a single heavily
populated network segment into smaller segments, or
collision domains, populated by fewer nodes
 Segmentation can be done using bridges, switches or
routers
Bridge

Bridges operate at the Data Link layer of the OSI model. A

bridge filters traffic between network segments by
examining the destination MAC address.
If the destination MAC address is located on the segment
other than the originating segment, the bridge forwards it. If
the frame was meant for the local segment, the bridge
discards it.
In this way, the bridge reduces network traffic by keeping
local traffic on the local segment.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Bridges

Advantages
 Bridges can extend a network by acting as a repeater
 Bridges can reduce network traffic on a segment by
subdividing network communications
 Bridges increase the available bandwidth to individual
nodes
 Bridges reduce collisions
 Some bridges connect networks using different media
types and architectures
Advantages and Disadvantages of Bridges

Disadvantages
 Because bridges do more than repeaters by viewing MAC
addresses, the extra processing makes them slower than
repeaters and hubs
 Bridges forward broadcast frames indiscriminately, so they
do not filter broadcast traffic
 Bridges are more expensive than repeaters and hubs
Switches

Switches also operates in the Data Link layer of the OSI

model.
Switches increase network performance by reducing the
number of frames transmitted to the rest of the network.
Unlike bridges, a switch opens a virtual circuit between
the source and the destination.
Switches filter based on MAC address that maps to which
port rather than to which segment in bridges.
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Switches
Advantages
 Switches increase available network bandwidth
 Switches reduce the workload on individual computers
 Switches improve network performance
 Networks with switches experience fewer frame collisions
 Switches connect directly to workstations
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Switches
Disadvantages
 Switches are significantly more expensive than bridges
 Network Connectivity problems can be difficult to trace
through a switch
 Broadcast traffic may be troublesome
Routers

Routers operate at the Network Layer of the OSI model.

Routers use the logical address to filter traffic unlike the
physical address in bridges and switches.
Routers create broadcast domains which only allows
broadcast traffic within its local broadcast domain.
Advantage and Disadvantages of Routers

Advantages
 Routers can connect different network architectures
 Routers can choose the best path across an internetwork
using dynamic routing techniques
 Routers reduce network traffic by creating broadcast
domains
Advantage and Disadvantages of Routers

Disadvantages
 Routers work only with routable network protocols
 Routers are more expensive than other devices
 Dynamic router communications cause additional network
overhead, which results in less bandwidth for user data
 Routers are slower than other devices because they must
analyze a data transmission from a Physical through the
Network layer whereas bridges and switches only read two
layers of information
Brouters

A brouter functions both as a bridge for nonroutable

protocols and a router for routable protocols.
Router operates at the Network layer while bridges
operate at the Data Link layer. Because the brouter performs
a dual role, it operates at both the Data Link and Network
Layers and can replace several routers and switches.
Gateway

Gateway can be a software or a hardware. It is used to

translate between different protocol suites.
Gateway creates the most latency of all the devices
discussed.
One example of a basic gateway will be “Macintosh”, a
sorfware in Windows Servers so that Macintosh computers
which use the AppleTalk protocol can communicate with the
server and share file and printing services.
Ethernet Operations

 Ethernet – a network access method originated bt the

University of Hawaii, and standardized as IEEE 802.3 in
the early 1980s

Ethernet Operations
 CSMA/CD
 Fast Ethernet
 Gigabit Ethernet
 Half- and Full-duplex Communications
CSMA/CD

Ethernet uses Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision

Detection (CSMA/CD) to prevent data packets from colliding
on the network.
CSMA/CD allows any staion connected to a network to
transmit anytime there is not already a transmission on the
wire.
Whenever a collision occurs between two stations, the
first one to detect will send a jam signal ensuring that all
station will know that a collision occured.