Local Area Network Hardware

What hardware is needed to make up a local area network?

• Network hardware is a selection of essential components that enable the connectivity and communication of devices within computer networks

• You need to understand the purpose of the following network hardware:

  • Router

  • Wireless access point (WAP)

  • Switch

  • Network interface card (NIC)

  • Transmission media

What is a router?

• The router is responsible for routing data packets between different networks

• An example of data the router can direct is, sending internet traffic to the right devices in your home

• The router connects networks together, local area networks (LAN) to the wider internet which is a type of wide area network (WAN)

• The router can manage and prioritise data traffic, which can help to keep connections stable

• The router will assign IP addressed to the devices on the network

What is a wireless access point (WAP)?

• The Wireless Access Point (WAP) allows wireless devices to connect to a local area network (LAN)

• The WAP connects to a Switch or Hub via an Ethernet cable

• The WAP range is limited so the use of multiple Wireless Access Points can be used for complete coverage or a home/business

What is a switch?

• A Switch allows multiple wired devices to connect to a local area network (LAN)

• The Switch is an active device, which means it can inspect network data and route it to the correct device, thus reducing traffic on the network

• A Switch can contain extra Software to allow administration/configuration

What is a network interface card (NIC)?

• The Network Interface Card (NIC) is required for a computer to connect to a network

• A NIC can be both wired and wireless and allows your computer to send and receive data over a network

What is transmission media?

• Transmission media is the phrase used to describe the method of connecting a wired network

• There are 3 main types of transmission media used

  • Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)

  • Coaxial (Copper)

  • Fibre Optic

Unshielded twisted pair (UTP)

• A Twisted Pair cable is made up of insulated pairs of copper wires twisted around each other

• Twister Pair is Low Bandwidth and more affordable than the other two cables, so is commonly found in Local Area Networks (LAN)

Coaxial

• A coaxial cable is a medium bandwidth and more expensive than UTP

• Coaxial cables are used to connect large-scale networks such as telephone networks and digital cable/satellite television

Fibre optic

• A Fibre Optic cable, unlike the other two, is unaffected by electrical noise, making it the fastest in terms of data transfer

• Fibre Optic is High Bandwidth and the most expensive

• Fibre Optic is commonly used for high data volume networks and long-distance connections such as between cities/countries