{"id":475,"date":"2025-08-20T18:28:57","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T18:28:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/?post_type=docs&#038;p=475"},"modified":"2025-08-20T18:28:59","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T18:28:59","password":"","slug":"network-hardware","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/?docs=network-hardware","title":{"rendered":"Network Hardware"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udcd8 Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every secure network relies on a base of physical hardware. Routers, switches, firewalls, and various devices not only transfer data \u2014 they safeguard it. In cybersecurity, grasping these elements is crucial, as they frequently serve as the initial line of defense against attacks and maintaining reliability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:38px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83c\udf10 Core Networking Devices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Routers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Direct data between networks (like LAN \u2194 internet).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide security features such as <strong>NAT, VPN support, and built-in firewalls<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cybersecurity role: Protects traffic moving in and out of the network perimeter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Modems<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>stands for modulator\/demodulator, transforming digital signals to analog and theotherwayaround.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sends information via telephone lines, cable networks, or different communication channels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Obtains analog signals and transforms them into digital formatagain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Offers users internet connectivity via an Internet Service Provider (ISP).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Types of Modems:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><strong>DSL Modem<\/strong><\/strong> &#8211; Connects to the internet via standard phone lines, but operates at a much slower speed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><strong>Cable Modem<\/strong><\/strong> &#8211; Data is sent through TV lines.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><strong>Wireless Modem<\/strong><\/strong> &#8211; Connects devices to the internet using Wi-Fi.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><strong>Cellular Modem<\/strong><\/strong> &#8211; Connects to the internet using cellular data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Switches<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A network switch is an essential part of a computer network that links several devices, such as computers, printers, and servers, within a local area network (LAN)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Network switches improve network security by separating traffic among devices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Smarter than hubs \u2014 forward traffic only to the right device.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cybersecurity role: Can support VLANs (segmentation), which isolate sensitive systems from the rest of the network.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Types of switches<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Modular switches<\/strong> &#8211; Modern electrical switches designed with a flexible, customizable system.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fixed-configuration switches<\/strong> &#8211; Fixed-configuration switches offer a set number of ports and are generally non-expandable, resulting in lower overall costs. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unmanaged switches<\/strong> &#8211; Provide basic connectivity. A plug and play device with no configuration necessary.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Smart switches<\/strong> &#8211; Provide management and segmentation, quality of service, and security features, making them a budget-friendly option compared to modular switches.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Managed switches<\/strong> &#8211; Crafted to offer the most extensive range of capabilities for optimal application performance, maximum security levels, the most accurate oversight and control of the network, and unparalleled scalability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Firewalls<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Control what traffic is allowed or blocked.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Modern firewalls (NGFWs) inspect deeper into traffic to stop threats.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cybersecurity role: First line of defense against intrusions and malware.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Repeater<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Extends how far a signal can travel across the same network.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prevents the signal from becoming too weak or corrupted.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Copies the signal <strong>bit by bit<\/strong> and regenerates it to its original strength.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Works at star topology connectors to keep transmission reliable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Operates as a <strong>2-port device<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:61px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udd10 Security-Focused Hardware<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>IDS \/ IPS (Intrusion Detection &amp; Prevention)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>IDS = Alerts when suspicious activity is detected.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IPS = Stops malicious traffic automatically.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cybersecurity role: Critical for <strong>real-time monitoring and defense<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Proxies<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Act as intermediaries between clients and servers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can hide user identity, cache web content, or filter traffic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cybersecurity role: Add <strong>anonymity and control<\/strong> over internet use.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Load Balancers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Spread network traffic across multiple servers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure availability and performance during high demand.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cybersecurity role: Prevents outages and helps absorb some <strong>DoS\/DDoS traffic<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:44px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udcbe Data Storage Hardware<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>NAS (Network-Attached Storage)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Provides shared file storage over the network.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Easy to set up but must have strict <strong>access controls<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cybersecurity role: Protects sensitive files and supports backups.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SAN (Storage Area Network)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>High-speed storage network used in enterprises.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Supports large-scale data sharing with redundancy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cybersecurity role: Requires <strong>strong encryption and monitoring<\/strong> to prevent breaches.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udce1 Wireless Networking Devices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Access Points (APs)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cybersecurity role: Must use <strong>WPA3, segmentation (guest vs internal), and regular patching<\/strong> to stay secure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide Wi-Fi connections to users.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enterprise setups may include <strong>controllers<\/strong> to manage multiple APs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2705 Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Wireless devices<\/strong> must always be configured with strong encryption and access control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Routers, switches, and firewalls<\/strong> form the backbone of network defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>IDS\/IPS, proxies, and load balancers<\/strong> strengthen resilience and monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>NAS and SAN<\/strong> highlight the importance of <strong>securing data storage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:48px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udcda Suggested Learning Resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cisco Networking Academy<\/strong> \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netacad.com\/networking\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.netacad.com\/networking\">netacad.com<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CompTIA Network+<\/strong> \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.comptia.org\/en-us\/certifications\/network\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.comptia.org\/en-us\/certifications\/network\/\">comptia.org<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SANS Whitepapers<\/strong> \u2013 <a href=\"http:\/\/sans.org\/white-papers\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"sans.org\/white-papers\">sans.org\/white-papers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Juniper Learning<\/strong> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/learningportal.juniper.net\/juniper\/default.aspx\">https:\/\/learningportal.juniper.net\/juniper\/default.aspx<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Geeks For Geeks <\/strong>&#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeksforgeeks.org\/computer-networks\/network-devices-hub-repeater-bridge-switch-router-gateways\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.geeksforgeeks.org\/computer-networks\/network-devices-hub-repeater-bridge-switch-router-gateways\/\">geeksforgeeks.com\/network-hardware<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cisco Learning Topics<\/strong> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco.com\/site\/us\/en\/learn\/topics\/index.html?filters=&amp;search=&amp;sort=a-z&amp;filterby=&amp;showMore=\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.cisco.com\/site\/us\/en\/learn\/topics\/index.html?filters=&amp;search=&amp;sort=a-z&amp;filterby=&amp;showMore=\">cisco.com\/learn\/topics<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ud83d\udcd8 Introduction Every secure network relies on a base of physical hardware. Routers, switches, firewalls, and various devices not only transfer data \u2014 they safeguard it. In cybersecurity, grasping these elements is crucial, as they frequently serve as the initial line of defense against attacks and maintaining reliability. \ud83c\udf10 Core Networking Devices Routers Modems Switches [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"doc_category":[9],"doc_tag":[],"class_list":["post-475","docs","type-docs","status-publish","hentry","doc_category-hardware"],"year_month":"2026-10","word_count":674,"total_views":0,"reactions":{"happy":0,"normal":0,"sad":0},"author_info":{"name":"Josiah Machado","author_nicename":"josiahmachado","author_url":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/?author=4"},"doc_category_info":[{"term_name":"Hardware","term_url":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/?doc_category=hardware"}],"doc_tag_info":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/docs\/475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/docs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/docs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=475"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/docs\/475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":484,"href":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/docs\/475\/revisions\/484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"doc_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fdoc_category&post=475"},{"taxonomy":"doc_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fdoc_tag&post=475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}