Network linking devices

Network hardware or network devices that are used in a computer are network interface cards and network linking devices. Network interface cards perform the task of first contact between the machine and the network. Network interface card is a printed circuit board which is fixed to motherboard through some free slots. The various network linking devices are hub, switch, bridges, routers and gateway. Hub is a small box which collects signals from various network devices, amplifies these signals and transmits the signal to connecting devices. A swich is similar to hub but more intelligent. A switch thoroughly inspects the data on arrival, determines the source address and destination address of the data and forwards the data to appropriate destination. Two or more local area networks (LANs) are connected through a bridge. Router is a device which is used to connect two or more networks. A router always prefers to choose the best path for fast data transmission. A gateway is preferred to connect two or more dissimilar networks that use different communication protocols. Gateway which is also known as protocol converter accepts the data which is formatted for one network and converts the data into format of another network. Protocol is a set of rules and regulations followed to exchange the information in a particular network.