What are the various network devices, and what are they useful for? Can one network device do the same work as other network devices, or do they have separate tasks?
Various network devices are the hub, switches, repeater, bridge, gateway, and router.
Hub:Â hubs are not an intelligent switch-like device. A hub joins various wires coming from distinct branches. It is least complicated, least talented, and least expensive. Its job is simple, anything coming from one port is sent to the other. It broadcasts the message to all the devices. Hub cannot filter the data this is the reason it broadcasts the information to all the devices.
Here the message is only for A so all the other devices will ignore the message received.
Switches: A switch does what a hub does but more efficiently and correctly. A switch can filter the data and will send the message to only that device for which the information is. The switch learns the location of the device they are connected to.
Routers: Router is a device like a switch that routes the data. When a router receives a pack, it checks its destination address and forwards it ahead. To send the packet to its destination, the router keeps the record of connecting networks and a routing table is also maintained which is updated dynamically.
Repeater: Repeater is used to regenerate signals. When the signal travels a long distance, it loses its energy this is the reason wire gets hot to regenerate the signals repeaters are used after every specific distance.
Bridge: Bridge is employed to split a huge network into tiny portions. It is breaking a large network into smaller segments. A bridge can connect two distinct types of media or network architecture, but it cannot join two different types of network layer protocols.
 Gateway: if a packet cannot find its destination address in the local network then gateway comes in picture. A gateway device recognizes the route of the undiscovered and remote destination address.
All the networking devices have separate tasks, and they are different from one another. Hub and switch are somewhat similar and have similar tasks, but when viewed in detail. They also perform their tasks in different ways and switch has some additional functionality than the hub.
