Long before the introduction of cellphones, we used to have the early telephones. For these phones to work, operators would sit in a room where they received calls then connect the calls to the respective recipients. This means that instead of one calling the other person directly, as we can now, the caller had to go through the central hub for them to reach the recipient. That is, they will call the central hub, tell them whom they want to speak to, and then the operators at the central hub would call the recipient and connect them with the caller.
With technological advancement, we no longer have to go through a central hub to connect. Our devices do all the connecting on their own. When these devices connect, they form a hub, much like the central hub during the first telephone. Nowadays, the hub is known as the network. By using network access equipment, you can connect your smart gadgets such as smartphones and computers.
Table of Contents
What is network access equipment?
A network access equipment is applied in boosting, switching, splitting, directing, or combining data via a telecommunications or computer network. The equipment includes switches, gateways, multiplexers, hubs, transceivers, firewalls, and routers. The equipment can also be in the form of a protocol such as Ethernet, an interface, or a port. The equipment enables users to connect to a particular network such as the internet.
Through this equipment, phones can communicate with each other when linked through the same central hub (network).
How Network Access Equipment Works
The most important function of the equipment in-network access is to enable data to be shared among the various devices connected to the network. In wired networks, the devices connect according to how they relate with the design as well as the structure of the network in question. The devices also have to be in line with the network topology.
A network topology refers to the way the nodes have been arranged and the connections of the network. Some of the most popular computer network topologies include ring, bus, tree, star, and mesh.
When it comes to wireless networks, the network access equipment alk’ to each other through radio waves, unlike in wired connections where wires are used, the wireless network requires no wires since the radio waves are sufficient for the communication between the various devices.
The network protocol is another critical factor to consider. Network protocols are important because they interpret the various rules that control network communication. It is their interpretation that enables users to communicate efficiently via the network.
Types of network access equipment
The following are some of network access equipment.
- Hub
- Bridge
- Gateway
- Router
- Wireless Access Point (WAP)
Hub
This tiny, rectangular device sends all the signals it receives to the devices connected to the same network. Often made of plastic, the inexpensive device receives power from a regular wall outlet. Hub sends information packets to the various gadgets regardless of data packet’s MAC address.
Bridge
Bridges centralize the administration of the network by interconnecting remote as well as local networks hence creating a bigger inter-network. Based on the MAC address of the data packets, bridges can either forward or reject the data packets.
Gateway
A gateway enables users to communicate. It is a crucial stopping point for data because it connects networks with various communication protocols. With the gateway, networks can connect regardless of their difference in the communication protocol. They make data transfer faster and efficient by regulating traffic between different networks.
Router
A router is a device that is dependent upon the protocol in connecting sub-networks as well as dividing a rather large network into rather small networks. Routers can forward data packets to their exact IP address via other routers, or the other pieces of the data equipment. Most of the time, routers are used to connect home computers to an internet connection via the home network.
Wireless Access Point (WAP)
WAP allows wireless gadgets to access as well as communicate with the network. Hence, it is a bridge between traditional network, wired as well as wireless devices. WAP also connects wireless devices to other WAPs where the devices are also linked.
Conclusion
Hopefully, the above information has answered the questions that you may have had concerning network access equipment. Be sure to share this information with your loved ones so that they too can get the knowledge.
Useful Links:
https://professionalshiksha.blogspot.com/2015/05/network-access-equipments.html
https://www.lifewire.com/how-routers-work-816456