1.What is a Router and how it directs traffic?
Router.
The term router is an device that converts the signals of modem into the signals that can be received to your peripheral devices i e (mobile, laptop , tab) & much more router is the mediator between the signals that are understood by the router itself so that it can direct the flow of network to the mobile & laptops.
How The Router Directs The Traffic Of Signals.
In basic terms consider the router as an google map which will show you the shortest path possible to your destination so that you can reach faster.
Now the router does also the same process.
It receives the signals from the (modem which receives signals from the ISP jio , airtel)
Now those signals cannot be directly sent to the mobile or laptop.
Here comes the router the mediator(saviour)
Router Transforms the data packets information to bits
The bits now locates the Destination IP address of the target
It now searches for the shortest path possible so that the data can be received faster.
When the path is found it will send the data to local device & keeps on sending the net ie data packets to the receiver.
2.Switch vs Hub: how local networks actually work?
In a local area network, devices like computers and printers need a device to connect and communicate with each other. Hub and switch are two such devices used for this purpose. Even though both are used in LAN, the way they handle data is very different which affects speed and performance of network.
Here Are the Points To Understand.
A hub sends the data to all connected devices even if only one device needs it, this creates lot of unnecessary traffic.
Because hub sends data everywhere, collisions can happen when two devices sends data at same time.
A switch is more intelligent and sends data only to the specific device using MAC address.
Switch reduces network traffic and improves overall speed and efficiency.
Today hubs are mostly outdated and switches are commonly used in home and office networks.
3. What is a Firewall and why security lives here?
A firewall is a security device or software that helps protect a network from unwanted access. It works like a gatekeeper between your internal network and the outside world like internet. Whenever data tries to enter or leave the network, firewall checks it based on certain rules and then decides whether to allow it or block it. This is why most of the network security actually lives at firewall level.
Firewall monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic all the time.
It blocks unauthorised access while allowing trusted data to pass through.
Firewalls can be hardware based or software based depending on usage.
Without firewall, network becomes open and easy target for attackers.
Almost every organisation uses firewall as first layer of security.
4 . What is a Load Balancer and why scalable systems need it?
A load balancer is a networking component that distributes incoming traffic across multiple servers. Instead of sending all requests to one server, it spreads the load so that no single server gets overloaded. This helps systems handle more users and requests smoothly, which is very important when an application starts growing and gets more traffic.
Load balancer receives requests from users and forwards them to different servers.
It helps in improving performance and response time of the system.
If one server goes down, load balancer can redirect traffic to other working servers.
This makes the system more reliable and fault tolerant.
Scalable systems needs load balancer to handle high traffic without crashing.
5. How all these devices work together in a real-world setup?
Imagine a company office where many employees are using internet, accessing files and working on an internal application. All the computers are connected to one network and users expect fast and secure access all the time. To make this possible, different networking devices are used together and each one handles a specific job in the network.
A switch connects all employee systems and helps them communicate inside the local network.
A firewall is placed between the office network and internet to block unwanted or harmful traffic.
A load balancer manages incoming requests and sends them to different servers evenly.
If one server fails, load balancer redirects traffic to other servers.
This setup keeps the network secure, fast and reliable for daily usage.
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