Hour 9. Network Hardware

What You'll Learn in This Hour:

• Bridges

• Hubs and switches

• Routers

• Network Address Translation

All but the smallest networks are more than computers and wires. Most networks include extra devices that provide connectivity, reduce traffic, and enhance performance. Some of these devices, such as routers and bridges, are designed to subdivide the network. Other devices, such as hubs, support cleaner and more convenient connectivity under everyday ethernet. A switch is a useful device that looks like a hub but has some of the features of a bridge. This hour discusses some important network devices and shows how these devices function on TCP/IP networks.

At the completion of this hour, you'll be able to

• Explain why network administrators subdivide networks

• Describe a bridge

• Describe a router

• Describe a hub

• Describe a switch

• Explain the differences between static and dynamic routing