# Network Hardware

## Hosts
Hosts are the actual clients/devices on a network. 
Examples: Computers, printers, servers, etc....

## Hubs / Repeaters
Hubs connect hosts in [[Network Types#Broadcast network]] networks, they forward all messages in all possible directions. This means that hubs are non-intelligent.
![[hubs.png]]

## Switches
Switches like hubs also connect hosts in broadcast networks. Switches however forward messages in the direction of their intended receivers. This makes the switches intelligent.

This property of a switch is called filtering.

Switches contain a table that stores all [[MAC-Address]] of connected devices (of each port) in a table.

They read the frame of a incoming message, extract the destination MAC Address and forward it to the corresponding port on the switch.

## Bridges


## Routers
Router is a member of multiple networks.

![[routers-example.png]]

For each connection to a network a routers uses a network interface card (NIC) and a IP address.

This way a router can have multiple IP addresses.

Each connection is identified by a interface, label or an address.

Example of a routing table:
![[routing-table.png]]

### Updating router tables

Routers are responsible for updating routing tables themselves.

When a router detects a change in connections, it immedia