
Typically, networking hardware includes gateways, routers, network bridges, switches, hubs, and repeaters.

Specifically, they mediate data in a computer network. Units which are the last receiver or generate data are called hosts or data terminal equipment.Īll these terms refer to devices facilitating the use of a computer network.

"Networking hardware may also be known as network equipment or computer networking devices. The vector stencils library "Network hardware" contains 27 clipart images and symbols of network equipment for drawing computer network diagrams. The symbols example "Cisco switches and hubs - Vector stencils library" was created using the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the Cisco Network Diagrams solution from the Computer and Networks area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. Repeater hubs also participate in collision detection, forwarding a jam signal to all ports if it detects a collision." The device is a form of multiport repeater. A hub works at the physical layer (layer 1) of the OSI model. It has multiple input/ output (I/ O) ports, in which a signal introduced at the input of any port appears at the output of every port except the original incoming. "An Ethernet hub, active hub, network hub, repeater hub, multiport repeater or hub is a device for connecting multiple Ethernet devices together and making them act as a single network segment. This means that messages have to be transmitted out of every port of the hub, greatly degrading the efficiency of the network." Hubs neither provide security, or identification of connected devices. Because of these features, a switch is often considered more "intelligent" than a network hub. This maximises security and efficiency of the network. Each networked device connected to a switch can be identified using a MAC address, allowing the switch to regulate the flow of traffic. Switches manage the flow of data across a network by only transmitting a received message to the device for which the message was intended.

Multiple cables can be connected to a switch to enable networked devices to communicate with each other. "A switch is a device used on a computer network to physically connect devices together. The vector stencils library "Cisco switches and hubs" contains 26 symbols of Cisco switches and hubs for drawing computer network diagrams.
