Network Infrastructure (tutorial-2)

Network Infrastructure refers to the architecture, in terms of equipment and connections that make up a network functional. In other way, a Network Infrastructure is the physical hardware used to transmit data electronically, such as routers, switches, gateways, bridges, and hubs. The following are the details about the hardware used in a simple Network Infrastructure:

• Backbone: Is the main line of wire that connects networks to one another. 
• Router: Is located at gateway where it directs the flow and determines the route of packets as they travel from one network to another network(s). A router can be either a hardware device or software application. 
• Switches: Directs the flow and determines the route of packets as they travel from one segment of a Local Area Network(LAN) to another on that same LAN. 
• Bridge: Connects one Local Area Network(LAN) to another. While it can determine to which LAN a packet should be sent, it does not examine or analyze the packet. 
• Gateway: Is the point at which the network connects to another network. A gateway can be composed of software, hardware, or a mixture of the two. 
• Hub: Connects segments of a Local Area Network(LAN) and directs packets to their correct location. 
• Cabling: Several types of cables are used to connect computers on a network. Coaxial cables and twisted pair cables are both composed of copper; the cable television industry primarily uses coaxial cables while the telephone industry relies upon twisted pair. Fiber optic cables ca carry more information than copper wires can, and transmit data as pulse of light. 
• Modem: Is hardware peripheral used to connect a computer to a network through a telephone, DSL, or a cable connection.