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3.4 Network Hardware

The document discusses network hardware including network interface cards, MAC addresses, IP addresses, and routers. It describes what these components are, their purposes, and differences between types like public and private IP addresses. The document provides information on topics like MAC address formatting, IPv4 vs IPv6, and functions of routers in networks.

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40 views5 pages

3.4 Network Hardware

The document discusses network hardware including network interface cards, MAC addresses, IP addresses, and routers. It describes what these components are, their purposes, and differences between types like public and private IP addresses. The document provides information on topics like MAC address formatting, IPv4 vs IPv6, and functions of routers in networks.

Uploaded by

ulyaabdulraheem123
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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3.4 Network Hardware 3.

4
UNIT: 3 Hardware

Topic Objectives:

• Understand that a computer needs a network interface card (NIC) to access a


network
• Understand what is meant by and the purpose of a media access control (MAC)
Address, including its structure.

• Understand what is meant by and purpose of an internet protocol (IP) address.


• Understand that there are different types of IP address.
• Describe the role of a router in a network

Network interface card (NIC)


A network interface card (NIC) is needed to allow a device to connect to a network (such as the Internet). It
is usually part of the device hardware and contains the Media Access Control (MAC) address generated at
the manufacturing stage.

Wireless network interface cards/controllers (WNICs) are


the same as NICs in that they are used to connect devices
to the Internet or other networks. However, they use
wireless connectivity utilising an antenna to communicate
with networks via microwaves. They would normally
plug into the USB port or be part of an internal integrated
circuit.

©ISK2024 3.4 Network hardware - DOCS Page 1


Media Access Control (MAC) address

A MAC address is made up of 48 bits which are shown as six groups of hexadecimal digits with the general
format:

NN - NN - NN - DD - DD - DD

For example, 00 - IC - B3 - 4F - 25 - FF where the first six hex digits identify the device as made by, for
example, Apple and the second set of six hex digits are the serial number of the device itself (this is unique).
If the NIC card is replaced, the MAC address will also change.

Types of MAC Addresses


Here are the important types of MAC addresses:

Universally Administered Address (UAA)


UAA is the most used type of MAC address. It is given to the network adapter at the time of manufacturing.
The first three octets of Universally Administered Address find the organization / manufacturer that issued
the identifier. The remaining octets of the MAC address is assigned by manufacturer.

Locally Administered Address (LAA)


LAA is an address that changes the MAC address of the adapter. You may assign this address to a device
used by network administrator. It overrides the address assigned by device manufacturers. Locally Administe
red Address does not contain OUI (Organizationally Unique Identifier). The full form of LAA is Locally
Administered Address.

Internet protocol (IP) address


When a device connects to a private network, a router assigns a private IP address to it. That IP address is
unique on that network, but might be the same as an IP address on a separate network. However, when a
router connects to the internet it is given a unique public IP address. This is usually supplied by the internet
service provider (ISP).

There are two versions of IP: IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 is based on 32 bits and the address is written as four
groups of eight bits (shown in denary format); for example, 254.25.2877
Because the use of only 32 bits considerably reduces the potential number of devices and routers used on the
internet at any one time, a newer version called IPv6 is now used.

©ISK2024 3.4 Network hardware - DOCS Page 2


This uses 128-bit addresses that take the form of eight groups of hex digits; for example,
A8FB:7A88: FFF0:0FFF:3D21:2085:66FB:F0FA.

Types of IP addresses:

Both versions, IPv4 and IPv6, can be divided into public and private IP addresses, which are used for

different purposes:
• Public IP addresses are assigned to a device by the internet service provider (ISP) and are used to
identify the device on the public internet.

• Private IP addresses are assigned to devices on a private network, such as a home or office network.

Static and dynamic IP addresses


IP addresses can be either static (don't change) or dynamic (change every time a
device connects to the internet).
Static
Static IP addresses are permanently assigned to a device by the internet service provider (ISP); they don't
change each time a device logs
onto the internet.
Static IP addresses are usually
assigned to:
• remote servers which are
hosting a website
• an online database
• a File Transfer Protocol
(FTP) server. FTP
servers are used when
files need to
be transferred to various computers throughout the network.

©ISK2024 3.4 Network hardware - DOCS Page 3


Dynamic
Dynamic IP addresses are assigned by the ISP each time a device logs onto the internet. This is done using
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). A computer on the internet configured as a DHCP server, is
used by the ISP to automatically assign an IP address to a device. As the name suggests, a dynamic
IP address could be different
every time a device connects to
the internet.

Difference between MAC address and IP address

©ISK2024 3.4 Network hardware - DOCS Page 4


Routers

A router is a device that connects two or more packet-switched networks or subnetworks. It serves two
primary functions: managing traffic between these networks by forwarding data packets to their intended IP
addresses, and allowing multiple devices to use the same Internet connection.

There are several types of routers, but most routers pass data between LANs (local area
networks) and WANs (wide area networks). A LAN is a group of connected devices restricted to a specific
geographic area. A LAN usually requires a single router.

A WAN, by contrast, is a large network spread out over a vast geographic area. Large organizations and
companies that operate in multiple locations across the country, for instance, will need separate LANs for
each location, which then connect to the other LANs to form a WAN. Because a WAN is distributed over a
large area, it often necessitates multiple routers and switches.

©ISK2024 3.4 Network hardware - DOCS Page 5

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