# 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 corrisponding port on the switch

## Bridges


## Routers