MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY

P. O. BOX 9055
GWERU
ZIMBABWE
Tel: (054)60667/60337
Fax: (263) (054)60431
www.msu.ac.zw

FACULTY OF COMMERCE
DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

INFO 206- DATA COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKS PRESENTATION

SURNAME FIRSTNAME(s) REG NUMBER SEX DEPARTMENT

Isheanesu Ngonidzashe R186773J M HINFOSYS
Munyukwi Major R183651Q M HINFOSYS
Muranda Tafadzwa R1811828Y M HINFOSYS
Ranga Tendai R189095R M HINFOSYS
Tabaziba Nicholas R188707N M HINFOSYS
Mafume Tinashe R189004Y M HINFOSYS
Chikazhe Ryan R188842E M HINFOSYS
Godobo Onai R185024Y F HINFOSYS
Kusena Rumbidzai R186126N F HINFOSYS
Severa Tapiwanashe C R1813116H M HINFOSYS

Repeater
A repeater is a device that operates only in the physical layer. Signals that carry information
within a network can travel a fixed distance before attenuation endangers the integrity of the
data. A repeater receives a signal and, before it becomes too weak or corrupted, regenerates the
original bit pattern. The repeater then sends the refreshed signal. A repeater can extend the
physical length of a LAN.

A repeater does not actually connect two LANs; it connects two segments of the same LAN. The
segments connected are still part of one single LAN. A repeater is not a device that can connect
two LANs of different protocols.
It is tempting to compare a repeater to an amplifier, but the comparison is inaccurate. An
amplifier cannot discriminate between the intended signal and noise; it amplifies equally
everything fed into it. A repeater does not amplify the signal; it regenerates the signal. When it
receives a weakened or corrupted signal, it creates a copy, bit for bit, at the original strength.
Repeaters amplifies the attenuated signal and then retransmits it. Digital repeaters can even
reconstruct signals distorted by transmission loss. So, repeaters are popularly incorporated to
connect between two LANs thus forming a large single LAN. This is shown in the following
diagram
Types of Repeaters
According to the types of signals that they regenerate, repeaters can be classified into two
categories
Analog Repeaters − They can only amplify the analog signal.
Digital Repeaters − They can reconstruct a distorted signal.

According to the types of networks that they connect, repeaters can be categorized into two types
Wired Repeaters − They are used in wired LANs.
Wireless Repeaters − They are used in wireless LANs and cellular networks.

According to the domain of LANs they connect, repeaters can be divided into two categories
Local Repeaters − They connect LAN segments separated by small distance.
Remote Repeaters − They connect LANs that are far from each other.

Router
A router is a device like a switch that routes data packets based on their IP addresses. Router is
mainly a Network Layer device. Routers normally connect LANs and WANs together and have a
dynamically updating routing table based on which they make decisions on routing the data
packets. Router divide broadcast domains of hosts connected through it. A router is a three-layer
device. It operates in the physical, data link and network layers. As a physical layer device, it
regenerates the signal it receives. As a link layer device the router checks the physical addresses
contained in the packet. As a network layer device, a router checks the network layer addresses.

A router can connect networks. In other words, a router is an internetworking device; it connects
independent networks to form an internetwork. There are three major differences between a
router and a repeater or switch.
a. A router has a physical and logical address for each of its interfaces.
b. A router acts only on those packets in which the link layer destination address matches the
address of the interface at which the packet arrives.
c. A router changes the link layer address of the packet when it forwards the packet.

Gateways

A gateway is a passage to connect two networks together that may work upon different
networking models. They basically work as the messenger agents that take data from one system,
interpret it, and transfer it to another system. Gateways are also called protocol converters and
can operate at any network layer. Gateways are generally more complex than switch or router. A
gateway is normally a computer that operates in all five layers of the Internet or seven layers of
OSI model. A gateway takes an application message, reads it, and interprets it. This means that it
can be used as a connecting device between two internetworks that use different models. For
example, a network designed to use the OSI model can be connected to another network using
the Internet model. The gateway connecting the two systems can take a frame as it arrives from
the first system, move it up to the OSI application layer, and remove the message.

Hub
A hub is basically a multiport repeater. A hub connects multiple wires coming from different
branches, for example, the connector in star topology which connects different stations. Hubs
cannot filter data, so data packets are sent to all connected devices. In other words, collision
domain of all hosts connected through Hub remains one. Also, they do not have intelligence to
find out best path for data packets which leads to inefficiencies and wastage.

Types of Hub

Active Hub: - These are the hubs which have their own power supply and can clean, boost and
relay the signal along with the network. It serves both as a repeater as well as wiring center.
These are used to extend the maximum distance between nodes.
Passive Hub: - These are the hubs which collect wiring from nodes and power supply from active
hub. These hubs relay signals onto the network without cleaning and boosting them and can’t be
used to extend the distance between nodes.