What are the differences between repeaters, hubs, bridges, switches, routers and gateways?
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The OSI model was invented to describe data communication and networking, because there is alot to it!  The network devices in question operate at Layers 2, 3, and 4 of the OSI model.\n\nLayer 2: Data Link Layer\nPuropse: Physically Connecting Machines \nLayer 2 Unit of Communication: Frame\n\nA repeater, hub, switch, and bridge are all layer 2 devices.\nA repeater takes in its frame, and just forwards it out the other side.  A hub is like a repeater with more than 2 ports so that you can create a basic network of more than 1 computer (without getting to the internet.)  A switch is esentially a "smart hub" because it learns to send frames only out the right port instead of just repeating it out all ports like a hub.\nA bridge is a more rare layer 2 device, that could in theory become obsolete someday, because ethernet is the standard, and network configs that use token ring or other obsolete technology are becoming more and more rare.\n\nAll of the above (Layer 2) devices allow for computers to talk to each other, but could not send information out to the internet, or to other networks wothout routers.  They are all restriced to the same network (192.168.0.x) and would not be able to find any other networks.  They also create what is known as a broadcast domain.\n\nLayer 3: Network Layer\nPurpose: Routing, and Connecting to Remote networks\nLayer 3 unit of communication: Packet\n\nRouters are layer 3 devices.\nRouters Can understand that (192.168.0.x) is on one interface, and (10.10.x.x) is on its other interface.  A router with only 1 ip address is useless.  It needs multiple interfaces, each with their own IP address, to be able to read a packet and decide what interface it needs to leave.  Your home routers have a private interface on one side, most likely 192.168.0.1, and a public interface with any other numbers not begining with 192.168., 10.etc, or 172.etc on the other side.  The public one connects to your ISP's area border router, which connects to another and another, and this is repeated all around the world to form the Internet.  If a router does not know where the destination is, it will forward the packet out its default gateway, and the next router will do the same, untill some router knows where to send it.  To see it in action try "tracert www.yahoo.com" from a Windows Command prompt.  Every stop on that list is a router.  \n\nLayer 3 devices, listed above, dont even know that layer 2 devices exist.  One router talks to the next, but they may be connected with any number of switches, frame relay devices or repeaters.  The router doesn't care, it just knows the packet goes this way. A packet is encapsuleted inside of a frame, then the layer 2 devices forward the frame to the next router so that it may pull out the packet, put it into a new frame, and send it in the next appropriate direction.\nAlso a router will ignore brodcasts on any given side of it, creating seperate broadcast domains.\n\nLayer 4: Transport Layer\nPurpose: Packet Flow Controll and Error Handling\nLayer 4 unit of communication: Segment\n\nGateways are able to translate IPX/SPX to TCP/IP, or to NetBIOS or some other protocol.  Gateways are not necessarily hardware.  They may be a computer program, or even a router that can translate.  They are also becoming rare like bridges, because Ethernet, and TCP/IP are becoming standard, and other methods of communication are being leveraged less and less as time goes on.\n\nFor more info, and full detail on all networking devices and protocols, and all 7 layers of the OSI model, see the chart on the link below.
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switcher-  the term is actually SWITCHES.  a switch is a level 2 networking device that directs data to nodes (PC's) via MAC Address.  think of a light switch... when in one position the light switch will direct electricity to a light bulb... in another the light switch will direct the electricity back into the house.  Except in this sense, the switch will direct things automatically and can direct thousdands of things per second.\n\nLow-End=  a low cost solution for beginners or small networks\n\nHigh-end= a higher priced but more capable device.\n\nOver the counter= available to everyone with no special requirements to purchase.\n\nThe mystery sentence is saying that in the year 1997, the Companies stock was selling for 83 dollars on the stock market.\n\nscalability=  a term used to define how flexible a system is.  a "scalable" system can be expanded easily in the future if the network needs to grow.
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yes hubs you can use. You can also use  a switch (which I would recommend) You can also use a router (I wouldn't recommend it for your PS2 though, because you will need to configure it for LAN games)\n\nAlso you cannot configure a hub. I works just like a splitter for a phone line.
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A hub, or repeater, is a fairly unsophisticated broadcast device. Any packet entering any port is broadcast out on every port and thus hubs do not manage any of the traffic that comes through their ports. Since every packet is constantly being sent out through every port, this results in packet collisions, which greatly impedes the smooth flow of traffic.\n\nA switch isolates ports, meaning that every received packet is sent out only to the port on which the target may be found (assuming the proper port can be found; if it is not, then the switch will broadcast the packet to all ports). Since the switch intelligently sends packets only where they need to go the performance of the network can be greatly increased.\n\nMore expensive switches can also do several other operations, such as isolating ports from each other by placing them in different VLANs, or allowing snooping by copying all packets on some set of ports to a special "sniffer" port.\n\nThis leaves the question of when a switch is most appropriate, versus a hub. If most of the network traffic involves only a few ports, then there will be little performance gain achieved by upgrading from a hub to a switch. But if the traffic involves more than a few ports, using a switch can yield a significant improvement in performance. Also, modern Fast Ethernet switches designed for small office / home office (SOHO) use are priced comparably to hubs, making use of a hub somewhat pointless if new equipment must be purchased anyway.
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Routers are Layer 3 (Network Layer)\nHubs and Switches are Layer 2 (Data Link Layer)\n\nCheers :)
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The two most common types of DSL ports (located at your internet service provider' switching facilities) are static and dynamic. Static means your IP address is always the same and  ISP usually charge more for this. Dynamic is the most common and means your IP address may change but this has no effect on your internet connectivity. Linksys needs to know whether you IP is static or dynamic so it can set itself accordingly. If in doubt I'd set it for dynamic because the odds really favor this choice.\n\nIf Linksys wants this same information for your computers network adapters the answer is static.\n\nCheers\n\nJimmy
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1. Gbps Nbps Mbps kbps\n2. Application Physical Presentation \n3. encapsulation \n4. transport\n5. A header and trailer are added.  Packets are packaged into frames. \n\nI guess some more CCNA questions..  I hope my memory is working well..\n\n-KOZ\nComputer Service Phoenix\nhttp://www.affirmtech.net
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A Ethernet hub looks logically identical to an Ethernet bus, and all traffic is visible to all connected interfaces. Therefore, packet collisions are possible, causing serious performance degradation on a busy network.\n\nA switch switches packets to and from connected interfaces by learning the MAC address of each connected host. Therefore, collisions no longer occur between connected hosts which enhances throughput. Also, traffic is not visible between connected hosts; each host sees only traffic "switched" to its interface. Therefore, security is enhanced as well.\n\nA switch is not a router, but modern switches usually recognize VLANs (virtual LANs) allowing several LANs to share a switch.
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pwr = power\nsync = Synchronised (Sync occurs whilst you connect to your ISP)\nOnline = Connected\nWLAN = Wireless Local Area Network\nLan = Local Area Network
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The most obvious difference is their transfer capability. CAT5 has four pairs of twisted copper wire and supports up to 100m of Fast Ethernet (100Mbps) transfers. Although CAT5 has four twisted pairs, it only makes use of two pairs. CAT6 also has four pairs of twisted copper wire which supports Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbps) of up to 100m. Unlike CAT5, CAT6 takes advantage of all four pairs. CAT6 has a 2x transfer rate compared to CAT5 but due to the higher price tag of CAT6, it isn't used alot yet.
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Short answer:\n\nA router is an intelligent device that allows a central connection to an internet connection.  Basically connects a LAN to the internet.  It also provides many internet like services from that single connection to the PC's connected to it.\n\nA hub is a dumb networking device that only passes all traffic from one computer to all computers connected.  It does not route the traffic in any way.  It's for local area networks only.\n\nThere is also a switch which does a small amount of traffic control in a local area network.  This helps make connections in the LAN faster with 3 or more computers.
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The only difference is the speed.  b does 11Mbps while g does 54Mbps.  They both operate on the same frequency and are compatible with each other.
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B is older.  G is newer and is backward compatible with B equipment.  It's faster too and has a larger range.  Don't waste your money on older B routers or cards.  Security is not a function of B or G, but of the software/firmware in the equipment.  Every router has WEP security.  Look for the newer and more secure WPA.
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in layman's term, (EHEM) or in everyday English language,\n\nthe HUB provides PHYSICAL connectivity to multiple devices,\nit enables more than one device to physically connect on a network, but the hub treats all devices connected to it as a single connection, there is no way to identify the devices except the sending device\n\nthe SWITCH provides NETWORK identification,\nit makes more intelligent distribution by identifying each unique device attached to it (MAC address), and treating each separately..\nbut it defaults to the same behavior as a HUB when MAC addresses cannot be resolved
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I assume you don't actually want a technical explanation of how they actually work, right (I couldn't tell you if you did, I'm afraid) But what I can tell you is:\n\n1) A switch is a device that sits at the middle of a small network of computers, it allows any one computer attached to the switch to commnicate with any other\n\n2) A hub is like a switch, only cheaper and worse (in a hub only two computers can be communicating at any given time, whereas in a switch many compuetrs can talk simultaneously)\n\n3) A router is a switch that has extra hardware in it that allows it to be connected directly to the internet as a Gateway, so any computer connected to it can access the internet.\n\nIf you have a switch, then you need to get one computer to be the gateway, it connects to the internet, and the other computer connects to it via teh switch. Essentially one of the computers is acting like a router. If you have Windows this is a fairly simple thing to set up, you don't even need extra software. (Send me a mail via my profile if you want detailed info, since I really don't want to go thorugh step by step instructions when for all I know you're using Linux or something)\n\nIf you have a router, it's much easier. Make sure the router can connect to the internet connection type you've got (i.e. You may need a different type of router for an ADSL connection than for a Cable connection), then you connect both computers to the router, connect the router to the internet, and that's pretty much it, apart form actually configuring the router...
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I would suggest clicking on the learning center tab (near the top middle of the page) at the Linksys reference below and start with network basics.  Linksys has been in the business for a number of years and makes wireless access points, routers and gateways.  If you then have questions post them here.
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You can buy a switch or a hub. Switches are better, because they are "intelligent" and distribute information according to which computer it's destined for. Hubs slow down the network somewhat by sending the information to every computer it's connected to.\n\nMore here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_switch