ACTIVE NETWORK COMPONENTS

In addition to properly selected and installed passive LAN components, its proper operation requires devices that support data exchange between individual stations in the network.

Switches and routers are core network infrastructure devices. Therefore, selecting them appears to be a fairly simple task. However, many different models of switches and routers are available. Different models provide various numbers of ports, different forwarding rates, and unique feature support. When designing a network, it is important to select the proper hardware to meet current network requirements, as well as allow for network growth. Within an enterprise network, both switches and routers play a critical role in network communication.