Networking equipments are used to link a number of devices, such as computers, servers, workstations, printers, and scanners into a network (system) for the purpose of sharing resources. Networking of computer systems and other electronic devices has become a necessity for most working environments. A local area network (LAN) is a local computer network sharing the resources of a single processor or server within a relatively small geographic area. Most LANs are confined to a single building or group of buildings. A wide area network (WAN) is a geographically dispersed telecommunications network that uses phone lines, microwaves, satellites, or a combination of communication channels to connect several locations. WANs are LANs connected together using technologies such as plain old telephone service (POTS) lines or PSTN (public switched telephone network)), ISDN (integrated services digital network), digital subscriber lines (DSL), frame relay, ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) or other high speed services. A networking system consists of multiple computing devices which include computers, peripherals, interface cards and other equipment needed to perform data-processing and communications within the network. Commonly used networking devices includes repeaters, switches, modems, hubs, firewalls, splitters, multiplexers, routers, bridges, gateways, servers, and the network interface card on computers.
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Sunday, 21 January 2007 |
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A modem is a device (modulator/demodulator) used for data transmission from or to a data communication equipment such as a laptop or a personal computer over communication circuits. Digital subscriber line (DSL) is a technology that provides high-speed communications using telephone lines. DSL modems provide the ability to transmit data at higher rates across twisted pair telephone wiring. Asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) modems offer a high speed alternative to conventional analog voice band modem technology. DSL uses a number of technologies such as quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), carrierless amplitude and phase (CAP) modulation, and discrete multi-tone (DMT) modulation to to encode and decode data on a single carrier frequency. |
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Monday, 15 January 2007 |
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Fiber media converter is a device that converts a signal propagating through one transmission medium to a signal for a different transmission medium. The rapid development of the information-oriented society has promoted the use of communication over optical fibers. Fiber optics provides a viable alternative to the foregoing copper based solutions due to their ability to provide large bandwidth, fast transmission speeds and high channel quality. A fiber media converter is used in data networks to convert signal transmission from one media, such as twisted pair copper, to another media such as fiber optics. A fiber media converter has a pair of ports that are to be connected to a fiber-optic cable and a UTP cable. The fiber media converter performs the conversion of signal transmission. |
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Monday, 08 January 2007 |
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A virtual private network (VPN) is an extension of a private intranet network across a public network, such as the Internet, creating a secure private connection. A virtual private network makes use of the public telecommunications infrastructure, maintaining privacy through the use of a tunneling protocol and security procedure. The virtual private network is implemented by communicatively coupling a plurality of routers, switches, gateways, and firewalls in one or more local area networks, or wide area networks. To make communication between computers private, virtual private networks use security methods, such as encryption, to maintain privacy. Tunnels are virtual point-to-point connections that offer authentication, encryption, and access control between tunnel endpoints. |
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Wednesday, 03 January 2007 |
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A computer network is a collection of interconnected computing devices that exchange data and share resources. A router connects computer networks having different lower hierarchy structures. The router transmits packet data through an optimal path established in connection with a routing table, as well as connects the received packet to another network or a target node of its own network. An IP router using an optical switch fabric takes in internet protocol packets and routes them through an optical switch to various destination ports of the switch. The router stores a routing table therein, and checks the IP address of each packet transmitted from another node by referring to the routing table, to determine the next destination or node of the packet and sends out the packet. |
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Saturday, 16 December 2006 |
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Computer networks transfer data between computers or other types of network stations. Networks route data transmissions between network stations. A network switch routes data transmissions such as ethernet packets among a plurality of media stations in a local area network. Data packets, are transferred between stations by means of data network switch media access controllers. A typical network switch for routing data transmissions (packets) between network buses includes a set of input ports, a set of output ports, and a switch fabric providing data signal paths between the input and output ports. A multiport network switch in a packet switching network is coupled to stations on the network through its multiple ports. Network switch I/O ports often include buffer memories for storing packets. |
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Sunday, 10 December 2006 |
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Network monitoring tools are combinations of hardwares and softwares used to determine performance levels and to debug errors of computer networks. Computer networks are widely used to provide increased computing power, sharing of resources and communication between users. Modern communications networks, especially those that carry broadband data over large distances, are often large and complex networks. The complexity of these networks requires the utilization of a network monitoring system to monitor the activity within and operation of the network. Network management systems assist in the coordination of the activities of the network, to locate and identify faulty equipment and/or problem channels, and to optimize the performance of the network. |
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Monday, 04 December 2006 |
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A storage area network (SAN) is used to connect computing devices and storage devices over a high-bandwidth network communication path. A storage area network uses a higher-performance computer protocol known as fibre channel to transfer data. Fibre channel is a hybrid channel and networking data transport medium. Storage area networks facilitate sharing of storage devices with one or more different host server computer systems and applications. SAN eliminates the bandwidth bottlenecks and scalability limitations imposed by SCSI architectures by integrating LAN networking models with the core building blocks of server performance and mass storage capacity. A storage area network typically connects to a local area network (LAN) or other network through servers. |
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Sunday, 19 November 2006 |
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Network attached storage (NAS) is a storage system used to storage elements or devices that connect to a network and provide file access services to computer systems. NAS devices attach directly to networks using standard protocols such as Ethernet and TCP/IP, and serve files to any host or client connected to the network. The network-attached storage allows access to the NAS file servers from other servers and clients on the network. NAS technology is used to provide storage with greater capacity, higher reliability, and higher availability. A typical NAS system involves several client computers and a dedicated file server attached via a local area network (LAN). An NAS system typically has a backup system for data recorded in a storage apparatus to periodically copy and preserve the data. |
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Monday, 13 November 2006 |
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Universal serial bus (USB) is a standard serial-communication interface for connecting a host computer to devices such as a printer, scanner, digital camera, and human interface devices (HIDs) including a keyboard, touch panel, track ball, and mouse. USB enables bi-directional isochronous and asynchronous data transfer making it possible to couple plural peripheral devices to a computing device via a single host controller and a USB hub. A USB hub serves as a medium for connecting peripheral devices to a computer in accordance with a USB standard. A hub typically includes an upstream port that couples the hub to the host, and several downstream ports that couple the hub to another hub or peripheral. A USB hub consists of two portions: the hub controller and the hub repeater. |
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Friday, 03 November 2006 |
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Computer network security systems allow network nodes to have several software applications that use the same security enforcement rules by having a cryptographic application which is accessible by each of the applications. Modern network communications systems employ facilities for security measures to protect transmission data from the potential risk of piracy, alteration, and other illegal access to the data. A network intrusion detection system provides capabilities to identify and respond to malicious or anomalous activities aimed at networked systems. Software protection of computer data can be enhanced by the use of specialized computer hardware that provides additional security functions. Firewalls are intermediate systems coupled between a protected network server and the internet. |
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Saturday, 21 October 2006 |
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In a typical computer system interconnected to a network, a network adapter, network card, or network interface adapter (NIA) acts as an interface between the host computer and a computer network. A network adapter may be coupled to a host system to provide communications. The network interface card moves data to and from random access memory inside the computer and also controls the flow of data in and out of the network cabling system. The network adapter includes a memory for storing data or software program code images that the host computer utilizes in communicating over the computer network. The network controller located in a network adapter manages transmission and reception of data packets by transferring data between the network and a shared memory subsystem. |
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Saturday, 14 October 2006 |
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A cable television (CATV) system distributes video signals from one head end to subscribers' television receivers via optical fiber cables. A cable modem is a device which allows high speed data accesses to the internet via the CATV network at speeds much faster than that of a telephone modem. Cable modem systems include head ends or cable modem termination system (CMTS) devices that engage in bidirectional communication with the various subscribers' cable modems. In the cable modem system, both television service and digital communication service can be provided to a member via the same cable. Cable modems transmit and receive digital signals at radio frequencies. Digital data on upstream and downstream channels of the cable network is carried over RF carrier signals. |
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Wednesday, 04 October 2006 |
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A network analyzer is a test system that characterizes the performance of radio frequency (RF) and microwave/millimeter wave DUTs in terms of network scattering parameters. A vector network analyzer (VNA) is an instrument that is typically used to measure complex transmission and reflection characteristics of devices under test. The network analyzer transmits broadband signals through the DUT to determine its power transmission and reflection characteristics, commonly referred to as S-parameters. A wide variety of formats and protocols are used to ensure that messages or packets sent by a sending computer are received by the intended receiving computer. A protocol analyzer is a tool that captures data from a network and displays the data to the user. |
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Saturday, 16 September 2006 |
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A wireless access point (WAP or AP) is a device that transports data between a wireless network and a wired network. Wireless local area networks are becoming more commonplace as the use of mobile terminals become increasingly common in office environments and other locations. Wireless networks can incorporate a variety of types of mobile devices, such as cellular phones, satellite phones, desktop and laptop computers, data terminals, data collection devices, personal digital assistants, cordless phones, pagers, headsets, printers, etc. A wireless access point can communicate with mobile terminals operating within the cell coverage area of the access point. A wireless access point includes a local processor and a wireless LAN card, for receiving communications from a mobile unit. |
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Tuesday, 05 September 2006 |
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A network is a collection of interconnected devices, which route packets of digitized information throughout a network, allow users to access resources and data. Computer networks comprise multiple computers that are interconnected for communication with each other. Wireless routers allow portable electronics to share information and resources via wireless communications. A router uses a routing protocol to exchange information with other routers in order to maintain a consistent view of the network. The routers distinguish data packets according to network protocols and forwards traffic according to network-level addresses. A router includes ports for channeling communication throughout the network, a primary port facility having a single processor, and a router card for controlling the router ports. |
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Thursday, 31 August 2006 |
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The internet is a communications system that routes packets based on internet addresses. A network's protocol specifies a common set of rules and/or signals which the networked devices use to communicate with each other. Gateways offer the advantage of IP telephony by bridging between the traditional telephone network and the Internet. Network firewalls provide important safeguards for any network connected to the Internet. A network gateway act as a firewall is that filters packets and separates an Intranet from Internet. A gateway acts as the interface between proximity local area protocols and wide area protocols. The internet gateway transfers the packets to the internet where internet routers forward the packets based on the internet address. |
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Saturday, 19 August 2006 |
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A firewall serves as a security enclosure around a private local area network (LAN) of computers and associated peripherals. Firewalls shield data and resources from the potential ravages of computer network intruders. Firewalls typically incorporate hardware and software to prevent an outside user from gaining unfettered access to internal assets. The firewall is a specially configured computer that can interrupt the flow of communications between two or more computers. Firewalls can be implemented in routers, special firewall appliances, and bastion hosts at the connection point of two or more computer networks. Personal firewalls are a software application running on a personal computer. Packet filtering is the action a firewall takes to selectively control the flow of data to and from a network. |
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Networking Equipment
