Category: Hardware Topics
Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs)
Edit (7/18/2018) - This discussion focuses on Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs). It is an introduction and a difficult concept to grasp for beginners. For intermediate-learners, I'd suggest reading this post instead. Older Networks: Our LANs can get messy. On our typically older corporate networks, there were many switches that separated different organizational units of ...
Port Mirroring on Switches
Modern switches have a lot of cool, useful features that make these devices simple to manage, but perhaps, more difficult to configure. In my last post about switches, I mentioned I'd go into a little more detail about the features that switches have to offer. One of the first features I mentioned was "port mirroring." ...
Switches Are The Way to Go
A "switch" is a Layer 2 (Data Link) device that largely replaced hubs in the early days of networking. These days, it's hard to imagine any network tech installing a hub over a switch. The greatest benefit of a switch over a hub is that is has "intelligence," well, managed switches do, at least. Managed ...
Why We Don’t Use Hubs Anymore
Hubs might appear to be Layer 2 (Data Link) devices, and I wouldn't blame you if you thought of them as such; however, hubs are actually Layer 1 (Physical) devices. Hubs are, in a sense, "dumb." They are unintelligent devices that simply provide connectivity to several devices. A long time ago, we used hubs as ...
Network Interface Cards (NICs)
How does your computer or mobile device connect to the network in your home or your company's internal network? How are your devices able to transmit, receive, and process information from the Internet? The magic lies in a small card called a Network Interface Card (NIC) built-in to your device. You might also hear them ...
The Cybersecurity Man 