Switches connect devices. Routers connect networks. Understanding this distinction is the foundation of all networking.
💠 Switch
The switch is the network device inside your office that connects all end devices together.
Each device connected to a switch has a unique MAC address.
The switch uses these MAC addresses to know which device is connected to which port.
By using this principle, switches can forward data to the correct destination.
📢 Hub:
Hubs had the same purpose as switches, but they were used between the late 1980s and early 2000s.
You will rarely see these network devices in real networks nowadays.
🌐 Router:
While a switch can connect devices within your local network and enable communication within that network, a router connects multiple networks.
Routers work by using IP addresses. By using IP addresses, a router can decide where data should go and how to reach the destination.
Routers make the Internet possible.
🧱 Firewall:
A firewall acts like a security guard that checks every piece of traffic going in or out of your network.
When hackers with unauthorized traffic try to enter, the firewall is used to protect the internal network from external threats.
Top comments (2)
great article!
Thanks!