Computer network components are needed to install the software. Computer network components together make it possible to transfer data from one device to another. It makes smooth communication between different devices. In this lesson, we will discuss the main components of a computer network.
Table of Contents
Network Interface Card (NIC)
NIC is a hardware component used to connect a computer with another computer onto a network. It can support a transfer rate of 10,100 to 1000 Mb/s. The MAC address or physical address is encoded on the network card chip which is assigned by the IEEE to identify a network card uniquely. The MAC address is stored in the PROM (Programmable read-only memory).
Two types of NIC:
Wired NIC: The Wired NIC is inbuilt into the motherboard. Cables and connectors are used with wired NIC to transfer data.
Wireless NIC: The wireless NIC contains the antenna to obtain the connection with the wireless network. A laptop computer contains a wireless NIC.
Hub
A Hub is a hardware device that divides the network connection among different devices. When a computer requests some information from a network, it first sends the request to the Hub through cable. Hub will broadcast this request to the entire network. All the devices will check whether the request belongs to them or not. If not, the request will be dropped.
The process used by the Hub consumes more bandwidth and limits the amount of communication. Nowadays, the use of hubs is outdated, and it is replaced by advanced computer network components such as Switches, Routers.
Switch
A switch is a hardware device that connects multiple devices on a computer network. A Switch has more advanced features than Hub. The Switch contains the updated table that decides where the data is transmitted or not. The switch delivers the message to the correct destination based on the physical address present in the incoming message. A Switch does not broadcast the message to the entire network like the Hub. It determines the device to whom the message is to be transmitted. Therefore, we can say that switch provides a direct connection between the source and destination. It increases the speed of the network.
Router
A router is a hardware device that is used to connect a LAN with an internet connection. It is used to receive, analyze and forward the incoming packets to another network. A router works in a Layer 3 (Network layer) of the OSI Reference Model. A router forwards the packet based on the information available in the routing table. It determines the best path from the available paths for the transmission of the packet.
The information which is transmitted to the network will traverse the entire cable, but the only specified device which has been addressed can read the data. If the server has stopped functioning, the network goes down, but no other networks are affected that are served by the router. Router enhances the overall performance of the network. Suppose there are 24 workstations in a network that generate the same amount of traffic. This increases the traffic load on the network. Router splits the single network into two networks of 12 workstations each, reducing the traffic load by half.
Modem
A modem is a hardware device that allows the computer to connect to the internet over the existing telephone line. A modem is not integrated with the motherboard rather than it is installed on the PCI slot found on the motherboard. It stands for Modulator/Demodulator. It converts the digital data into an analog signal over the telephone lines.
Based on the differences in speed and transmission rate, a modem can be classified into the following categories:
- Standard PC modem or Dial-up modem
- Cellular Modem
- Cable modem
Cables and Connectors
A cable is a transmission media used for transmitting a signal.
There are three types of cables used in transmission:
- Twisted pair cable
- Coaxial cable
- Fiber-optic cable
A cable is a transmission media that transmits communication signals.
There are three types of cables:
- Twisted pair cable: It is a high-speed cable that transmits the data over 1Gbps or more.
- Coaxial cable: Coaxial cable resembles a TV installation cable. Coaxial cable is more expensive than twisted-pair cable, but it provides a high data transmission speed.
- Fiber optic cable: Fibre optic cable is a high-speed cable that transmits data using light beams. It provides high data transmission speed as compared to other cables. It is more expensive as compared to other cables, so it is installed at the government level.
