network devices What devices can be attached to a network? You can think of a network as a spider web with many interconnecting points. Each connec-tion point on a network is referred to as a node. A network node usually contains a computer, networked peripheral, or network device. How do computers connect to LANs? A personal computer con-nected to a network is sometimes called a workstation. Other classes of computers, such as mainframes, supercomputers, servers, and handhelds, can also connect to LANs.To connect to a LAN, a computer requires network circuitry, sometimes referred to as a network interface card (NIC). Network circuitry is built into the main system board of most personal computers. If not, a NIC can be added to a slot in the system board or to a USB port. What is a networked peripheral? A networked peripheral, or net-work-enabled peripheral, is any device that contains network circuitry to directly connect to a network. Printers, scanners, and storage devices are examples of devices that can be equipped to directly connect to a network instead of connecting to a workstation. A storage device that directly connects to a network is called network attached storage (NAS). Networked peripherals are sometimes described as being “network ready” or as having “built-in networking.” Some devices offer networking as an optional add-on. What are network devices? A network device (sometimes referred to as a network appliance) is any electronic device that broadcasts network data, boosts signals, or routes data to its destination. The most important network device is a router, which acts as a central distribution point for getting data to its destination. Network devices also include hubs, switches, gateways, bridges, wireless access points, and repeaters. You will learn more about these devices later in the chapter. In the meantime, study Figure 5-5 for an example of a LAN that connects a variety of computers, networked peripherals, and network devices.
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