Network Components

Modems or a modulator-demodulator is essential for any computer network and no computer or laptop can be connected to internet or any other network without using a modem. Modems as the name suggests modulate or demodulate information into digital signals which are then transferred to the internet or computer network.

Firewalls ensure the safety and security of a computer network and are used for creating a barrier between a safe internal network such as LAN and an outside network such as Internet. They can also be used for monitoring and filtering data passing through 2 networks.

NAS systems are the most common types of disk array and storage servers used in offices, businesses and other organizations where a central storage server is needed. NAS systems use multiple storage drives which are often arranged in RAID formation for achieving extremely high data storage capacities.

Network cables play an important role in any computer network as even now in this age of wireless communication, most computers can be connected to servers, modems and routers only via a network cable. This is especially true for desktop computers as few computers come with a Wi-Fi card and primarily use modems to connect to a modem.

Network cards are known by various names such as network adapters, LAN cards, LAN adapters, network interface cards etc. and play a crucial role in the functioning of any local access network as a computer cannot be connected to a LAN network without a LAN card.

Network drives are known by several names such as file server or storage server and are essential for storing any data which can be retrieved by a computer attached to the connected computer network. As such, network drives provide a central storage location which can be easily accessed by all the computers on a network.

Routers are mainly used for directing the traffic of data packets between computer networks and are used in large number of businesses. Routers decipher the information contained in a data packet and direct the data packet to its intended destination.

Network switches are known by several names such as switching hub or bridging hub etc. and are required for connecting two or more devices on a computer network. Network switches allow data transfer between various devices on a single network.

SAN systems are a type of disk arrays which provide block level data storage and are connected to a computer network. Although unlike network attached storage or NAS systems these don’t have file serving capacity. SAN systems are used across several offices and businesses where there is a need for block level data storage.

Other products that didn't quite fit into any of the above categories.