Common Network Connectivity Devices
By now, you should be fairly savvy regarding the various types of network media and connections, so it’s time to learn about some of the devices they hook up to that are commonly found on today’s networks.
First, I’ll define the basic terms; then, later in this chapter, I’ll show you how these devices actually work within a network. At that time, I’ll give you more detailed descriptions of these devices and the terminology associated with them.
Because these devices connect network entities, they’re known as connectivity devices. Here’s a list of the devices I’ll be and related concepts covering in this chapter:
- Network interface card (NIC)
- Hub
- Bridge
- Basic switch
- Basic router
- Basic firewall
- IDS/IPS/HIDS
- Access point
- Wireless Range extender
- Contention Methods
- Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server
Network Interface Card
Those of you who aren’t familiar with NICs probably want...
