Internet Hardware

Hardware The process of sending information across the internet is extremely complex. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) breaks it up into what are known as packets. Your pc sends the packets to your local network, ISP (Internet Service Provider) or online service. From there, the packet travels through many levels of networks, computers and communications lines before they reach their final destination wherever that may be.

Hardware A variety of hardware processes these packets and routes them to their proper destination. The 5 main important pieces of hardware are; Hubs Bridges Gateways Repeaters Routers

Hubs Link groups of pcs together and allow pcs to communicate with each other.

Bridges Link LANs (local Area Networks) together. They enable data destined to be sent to another LAN to be sent there whilst keeping local data inside its own network.

Gateways Similar to bridges but they can also translate data from one kind of network to another.

Repeaters Data can weaken when travelling over a great distance, repeaters therefore amplify the data at intervals so the signal does not weaken.

Routers A routers job is to ensure that packets arrive at the correct destination although they are not needed if the data is being transferred along the same LAN. Routers are needed when data is being sent between 2 different networks. They examine the packets to determine where they should be going then pass the packets onto a router nearer to its final destination.