Let’s Discuss Some Common Networking Equipment

Networking equipment can be complicated, particularly for complex networks designed for business technology. Today, we want to take a look at some of the more common networking equipment out there so that you can better understand what goes into managing and maintaining your business’ operations and infrastructure.

Some Common Networking Equipment You’ll See

You might have cables running all over your office connecting networking components together, of which you might see three major types of devices. The type of equipment you are likely to see will depend on the type of business, the type of connection, and the amount of bandwidth or resources the network has available.

Network Hubs

Network hubs, largely a thing of the past these days, were once one of the most prominent networking technologies out there. Despite this, we still want to cover this to show how far the technology has grown since.

As a device, the network hub creates a private network, i.e., one not connected to the Internet. This hub will then distribute packets of data to all connected devices. The hub will only have so much bandwidth, which will be based on the number of devices it’s connected to. The more devices connected, the slower the transfer speed, which is not ideal for modern businesses. There are better networking options to consider these days.

Network Switches

Switches work in much the same way as a network hub, but it will be more focused rather than spread out. Instead of sending data packets to all connected devices simultaneously, the switch directly routes data packets to their intended destination. This saves bandwidth and time, resulting in a much more efficient in-house network.

Network Routers

The router does the opposite of what the hubs and switches do, allowing your network to interface with other networks through the Internet. A network switch will help your business’ network interact with other computers on the local network, whereas the router will help you connect with other computers off the local network.

So, what does your business need? That depends, but we know for sure that you can find out today by calling us at (978) 482-2020.