Router :
Hub vs Switch vs Router :
Firewall :
- A router is a networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks.
- It perform the traffic directing functions on the Internet. A data packet is typically forwarded from one router to another router through the networks that constitute an inter network until it reaches its destination node.
- The main purpose of a router is to connect multiple networks and forward packets destined either for its own networks or other networks.
- A router is connected to at least two networks, commonly two LANs or a LAN and its ISP.s (Internet Service Provider.s) network.
- It is generally located at gateways, the places where two or more networks connect.
- Hub is commonly used to connect segments of a LAN (Local Area Network). A hub contains multiple ports.
- When a packet arrives at one port, it is copied to the other ports so that all segments of the LAN can see all packets. Hub acts as a common connection point for devices in a network.
- In a hub, a frame is passed along or “broadcast” to every one of its ports. It doesn’t matter that the frame is only destined for one port.
- The hub has no way of distinguishing which port a frame should be sent to. Passing it along to every port ensures that it will reach its intended destination.
- This places a lot of traffic on the network and can lead to poor network response times.
- In networks, switch is the device that filters and forwards packets between LAN segments.
- Switch, keeps a record of the MAC (Media Access Control) addresses of all the devices connected to it. With this information, a switch can identify which system is sitting on which port.
- So when a frame is received, it knows exactly which port to send it to, without significantly increasing network response times.
- In addition, unlike a hub, a 10/100 Mbps switch will allocate a full 10/100 Mbps to each of its ports. So regardless of the number of PCs transmitting, users will always have access to the maximum amount of bandwidth.
- It’s for these reasons a switch is considered to be a much better choice than a hub.
- Router is the only one of these three devices that will allow us to share a single IP (Internet Protocol) address among multiple network clients.
Firewall :
- A firewall is a software program or a piece of hardware that helps to screen out hackers and viruses that try to reach our computer over the internet.
- Software firewall is a program that is installed on our pc.
- Hardware firewall is a device placed in between our network and an untrusted internet.
- All windows operating systems have built-in software firewalls.
- The basic task of firewall is to regulate the flow of traffic in between computer networks of different trust levels.
- If we turn our firewall of all the messages that pass through firewall freely as a result hackers can easily hack our computer and obtain the sensitive data.