Clarence wrote:
>I must say that's the most cogent description I have yet seen of the various
>functions, but it still leaves me feeling stupid.
Oh... a new word (cogent) ;-)
>I get Hub. I GET Bridge.
>I still think the other three can all be the same box. :(
Are you familiar with the OSI model used in computer communications?
Just for refrence the diffrent layers are
7 Application (ex.. HTTP)
6 Presentation (*very* rarely used)
5 Session (*very* rarely used)
4 Transport (ex. TCP)
3 Network (ex. IP)
2 Data link (ex. MAC)
1 Physical (ex. TP)
The diffrence between hub, switch, router, gateway and bridge can be
explained with these.
Now this is IIRC, others may see something wrong here... I am aware that
they aren't called "packets" everywhere (we also have frames etc.) but this
makes it easier to understand since I don't need to explain what they are.
The hub resends everything and thus don't examine the packets.
The switch looks in the data link packets (MAC adress).
Router does as the switch (or does it look in network packets? - that would
seem more appropiate IMHO), but assumes which outbound route is the best
(depending on earlier traffic load etc.).
Gateway looks in the transport packets and sends the packet through if it's
ok to do so.
Bridge interconnects (as Ricsi pointed out that I had forgot to write)
between segments so they are seen as one, it also looks in the transport
packets.
IMHO the only one that's hard to see a diffrence between is the gateway and
the bridge. The main diffrence is that the bridge makes them into one
segment insetad of two diffrent LANs (and thus a WAN).
>What are these ?
> | Tel line.
> -----------
> | | Alcatel DSL/ADSL modem
> -----------
> | Cat5 connection
> ---------------------
> | | Dlink ROUTER or Hub ? or Gateway ?
> ---------------------
> | | | | | | | | Cat5 connections - internal Enet.
> |
> ---------------------
> | | PC running Freesco ROUTER or Gateway ?
> --------------------- looks like a switch to me.
> | | | | Cat5 connections -INDIVIDUAL Networks
> Me other someone spare. * NOT interconnected *
> person else ( I don't think so )
You have:
External PSTN
ADSL modem
LAN
DLINK
Another LAN (or not if DLINK is a hub, LANs if it's a router)
Freesco (which is a router - see http://www.freesco.com/)
Several LANs
