1. Networking Components Michelle Vega Network System Administrations LTEC 4550.20/026 Mr. West

2. Hubs do not read any of the data passing through them and are not aware of their source or destination. Essentially, a hub simply receives incoming packets, possibly amplifies the electrical signal, and broadcasts these packets out to all devices on the network - including the one that originally sent the packet! Hubs remain a very popular device for small networks because of their low cost. A good five-port Ethernet hub can be purchased for less than $30 USD. USB hubs cost only a bit more. Hub

3. Most business networks today use switches to connect computers, printers and servers within a building or campus. A switch serves as a controller, enabling networked devices to talk to each other efficiently. Through information sharing and resource allocation, switches save businesses money and increase employee productivity. Prices vary from $20 -$1,000 for a managed switch. Switch

4. A router is a networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks. When a data packet comes in one of the lines, the router reads the address information in the packet to determine its ultimate destination. Then, using information in its routing table, it directs the packet to the next network on its journey. The most familiar type of routers are home and small office routers that simply pass data, such as web pages, email, IM, and videos between the home computers and the Internet. An example of a router would be the owner's cable or DSL router, which connects to the Internet through an ISP. Cost are relatively inexpensive and vary from $20-100. Router

5. A network bridge is software or hardware that connects two or more networks so that they can communicate. People with home or small office networks generally use a bridge when they have different types of networks but they want to exchange information or share files among all of the computers on those networks. Cost from $30 -$320 Bridge

6. A default gateway provides an entry point and an exit point in a network. In home computing configurations, an ISP often provides a physical device which both connects local hardware to the Internet and serves as a gateway. Such devices include DSL routers and cable routers. In organizational systems a gateway is a node that routes the traffic from a workstation to another network segment. The default gateway commonly connects the internal networks and the outside network (Internet). In such a situation, the gateway node could also act as a proxy server and a firewall. The gateway is also associated with both a router, which uses headers and forwarding tables to determine where packets are sent, and a switch, which provides the actual path for the packet in and out of the gateway. Cost vary from $80 -$2,000 Gateway

7. A network firewall protects a computer network from unauthorized access. Network firewalls may be hardware devices, software programs, or a combination of the two. Network firewalls guard an internal computer network (home, school, business intranet) against malicious access from the outside. Network firewalls may also be configured to limit access to the outside from internal users. Cost vary from $75-$2200. Firewall

8. A wireless Access Point is a device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi, or related standards. The AP usually connects to a router (via a wired network) as a standalone device, but it can also be an integral component of the router itself. Cost from $20-1000 Wireless AP