NAME: ADEAGBO MARY
OLUWASETEMIPE
LEVEL: 100
COLLEGE: MEDICINE AND HEALTH
SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT: MEDICINE AND
SURGERY
COURSE CODE: GST 115
CONNECTIVITY HARDWARE
Connectivity Hardware can be defined as the hardware that allows a
computer to be physically connected to different types of networks. They include
 Connectors: they are used to terminate cables in order to be plugged into a
network interface card or another network opponent.
 Network Interface Card: A PC expansion board with it’s own unique identifier
that plugs into a computer allowing it to be connected to a network. It is also
known as a network interface controller, network adapter, LAN adapter or
physical network interface. It allows a computer to communicate over a computer
network either by using cables or wirelessly. The NIC is both a physical layer and
a data link layer device, as it provides physical access to a networking medium.
 Modem (Modulator/ Demodulator): Enables the computer to connect and transmit
data over phone lines by converting the send the computer’s digital signals to
analog and back again. for the receiving computer. A modem is used to connect to
the internet to get information and it can also be used to download applications
only if there is enough data on it. The goal is to produce a signal that can be
transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original data. Modems can be
used with any means of transmitting analog signals, from light emitting diodes to
radio. A common type of modem is one that turns the digital data of a computer
into modulated electrical signal for transmission over telephone lines and
demodulated by another modem at the receiver side to recover the digital data.
The image of a modem is below:
 Repeater: It can be said to be a network device used to replicate a signal as it
weakens when traveling across a network. A repeater can also be said as an
electronic device that receives signal and retransmits it. They are used to extend
transmissions so that the signal can cover longer distances or be received on the
other side of an obstruction. There are different types of repeaters, they include a
telephone repeater(an amplifier in a telephone line), an optical repeater, a radio
repeater, e.t.c.
Image of the working process
of a Radio Repeater
 Hubs: A central point of connection between media segments enabling network
extension to accommodate more personal computers.
 Bridges: It is used to connect two different Local Area Networks or two segments
of the same Local Area Network by forwarding traffic between segments. It can
also be said to be a computer networking device that creates a single aggregate
network from multiple communication networks or network segments. Bridging is
distinct from routing which allows multiple different networks to communicate
independently while remaining separate. If one or more segments of the bridged
network are wireless, the device is known as wireless bridge and the function is
known as wireless bridging.
 Multiplexer: It is used to share a communication line among number of users by
converting and combining signals from multiple users for simultaneous
transmission over a single line. It is a device that selects and forwards the selected
input into a single line. A multiplexer of 2n inputs has n select lines which are
used to select which input line to send to the output. They are mainly used to
increase the amount of data that can be sent over the network within a certain
amount of time and bandwidth. It is also called a data selector.
 Router: It is an intelligent device used to connect two or more individual
networks. When it receives a signal, it looks up the address and passes it to the
appropriate network. It can be said as a networking device that forwards data
packets between computer networks. Routers perform the traffic directing
functions on the internet. It has two stages of operation called planes which are
the control plane and the forwarding plane.
 Brouter: It can be said as the short for Bridge and Router and provides the
functions of both which means it is used to connect two or more individual
networks. It acts as a bridge in a network and a router in an internet work. The
brouter routes packets for known protocols and simply forwards all other packets
as a bridge would.
 Channel Service Unit: it can be defined as a device that acts as a buffer between a
Local Area Network and a public carrier Wide Area Network to ensure signals are
placed on the public lines are appropriately timed and formed for the network. It
is also a digital-interface used to connect a data terminal equipment(DTE) such as
a router, to a digital circuit, such as Digital Signal 1. The CSU/DSU( data service
unit) implements two different functions. The CSU is responsible for the
connection to the telecommunication network, while the DSU is responsible for
managing the interface with the DTE. A CSU is also a DSU but they perform two
different functions.
 Gateways: This device performs a protocol conversion so that different networks
can communicate even though they speak different languages. A gateway may
contain different devices such as protocol translators, impedance matching
devices, rate converters, fault isolators or signal translators as necessary to
provide system interoperability. It interconnects networks with different networks
with different network protocol technologies by performing the required protocol
conversion