The differences between Hubs, Switches, Routers and Firewalls

Many people get confused amongst the technical jargon for all the hardware that is needed for a network. Computer hardware is used to reduce network traffic congestion and send data transmissions t the correct destination through hubs, switches and routers.

A firewall is often mentioned as important hardware and software because it insulates the private network from public networks like the Internet. This article will help define and differentiate between a hub, a switch, a router and a firewall.

Connecting a LAN with Hubs

Hubs are inexpensive devices used to connect a group of computers on a LAN. A hub’s job is simply to repeat a signal, passing it on to all the other computers or devices on a network segment. Typically, each computer connects to a hub via a cable, with a hub able to accommodate anywhere between four and 64 connections, depending on the hub’s make and model.

What are Network Switches?

As networks grow larger and become more congested, network administrators often replace hubs with switches. Switches are devices that are similar to hubs in that they are used to transmit a signal from one computer or device to another. However, switches, unlike hubs, are considered intelligent devices and generally cost quite a bit more money than hubs.

What do Network Routers do?

Routers are similar to switches in that they are intelligent devices used to manage network traffic. Routers, however, are much more powerful than switches. In fact, they are essentially specialized computers specifically designed to manage data transmissions over different LANs and WANS such as the Internet.

Routers do their work by maintaining databases of information about networks and their computers attached to the networks and by closely examining transmitted data packets to direct them to their appropriate destination computers. Routers are critical to getting data packets transmitted from one network to another via the Internet (IP Protocol).

Using Firewalls to boost Network Security

A firewall is a security tool, consisting of a specialized hardware device or software or a combination of both. A firewall is placed between a private network and a public network. The firewall’s job is to filter all incoming and outgoing transmissions passing through it and block those transmissions that do not meet specific security criteria.

For example, a firewall can stop employees from downloading specific web pages on their work computer that is connected to the company network. It can also filter our any unauthorized incoming transmissions from parties outside the network. This helps the spread of SPAM as well as viruses on the work network.