Network hardware

• Network hardware needed to make up a local area network


  • Router
  • Wireless access point (WAP)
  • Switch
  • Network interface card (NIC)
  • Transmission media
• Router


  Responsible for routing data packets between different networks, connecting local area networks (LAN) to the wider internet (WAN), can manage and prioritise data traffic, assigns IP addresses to devices
• Wireless access point (WAP)


  Allows wireless devices to connect to a local area network (LAN), connects to a switch or hub via Ethernet cable, has limited range so multiple WAPs may be used
• Switch


  Allows multiple wired devices to connect to a local area network (LAN), is an active device that can inspect and route network data, can have additional software for administration/configuration
• Network interface card (NIC)


  Required for a computer to connect to a network, can be wired or wireless, allows the computer to send and receive data over a network
• Types of transmission media


  • Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)
  • Coaxial (Copper)
  • Fibre Optic
• Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)

  • Low bandwidth, affordable, commonly used in local area networks (LANs)
• Coaxial


  • Medium bandwidth, more expensive than UTP, used for large-scale networks like telephone and digital cable/satellite TV
• Fibre Optic


  • Unaffected by electrical noise, high bandwidth, most expensive, commonly used for high data volume networks and long-distance connections