What is Network Hardware?
The term hardware refers to the physical components of a computer system.
A network is a set of connected computers.
Therefore, network hardware are the physical components (equipment) that allow us to connect computers together.
Network Interface Controller/Card (NIC)
Every device that connects to a network must have a network interface controller.
This assigns a unique MAC address to the device.
Transmission Media
This refers to the way in which data is transmitted (sent) from the receiver to the sender. Often this is with physical means such as the use of wires e.g. ethernet cables, coaxial cables, fiber optics.
Becoming more common is the use of radio waves as a (unguided) transmission media such as those used in Wifi and Bluetooth communication.
Wireless Access Point
Wireless Access Points allow for the radio waves needed for Wifi communication to be sent and received between devices that are connected.
Switch
A network switch is a device used to connect computers and other devices together using Ethernet cables. It allows them to share information and communicate with each other on the same network.The switch will:
Here’s what a switch does:
- It receives data (called data packets) from a device, like a computer or printer.
- It looks at the data to figure out which device it needs to go to.
- It sends the data only to the correct device, not to every device on the network — this helps keep the network fast and efficient.
Router
A router is a device that connects different networks together — for example, it connects your home or school network to the internet.
It usually connects to a modem and shares the internet connection with all the devices on the network (like phones, tablets, and computers).
Here’s what a router does:
- It receives data from your network (e.g. from your computer).
- It figures out where that data needs to go — like to a website on the internet.
- It sends the data out to the right destination through the internet.
- When a reply comes back, it sends the response to the correct device on your network.
All-in-one Network Box
At home, most people have one box (often referred to as a router). In fact, inside this one box is a router, switch and wireless access point so it does all three jobs.
This is provided to you by your family’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) e.g. Virgin Media, BT, Sky, Talk Talk, EE
