ABSTRACT
This chapter explores network hardware and some of the more popular network protocols. It focuses on several network-related topics such as error detection and correction, encryption, and network caches. The chapter differentiates between types of switches. A network is a group of connected things. A network device is a device that receives a message from one resource on a network and determines how to pass the message along the network. Common network devices are hubs, switches, routers, and gateways. The typical form of communication over a network is a unicast. This form of communication allows a message to be sent from one source device to one destination device. The use of servers in a network suggests that the network is set up as using a client–server model. Most networks on the planet are a form of local area network (LAN), and most of these use some form of wired connection.
