Router (Router), switch (Switch) and Wi-Fi are common devices in computer networks, and they have the following main differences:
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Function:
- Router: A router is a networking device that connects multiple networks and forwards packets between those networks. It determines the best path for a packet and forwards it based on the destination address.
- Switch: A switch is a network device used to forward packets within a local area network. It determines the destination address of the data packet by learning and maintaining the MAC address table, and directly delivers the data packet to the target device.
- Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is a wireless communication technology used for data transmission in a wireless local area network. Wi-Fi uses wireless signals to transfer data from one device to another, allowing devices to connect to a network wirelessly.
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scope:
- Router: A router connects different networks such as LAN (Local Area Network) and WAN (Wide Area Network) and forwards data between these networks.
- Switches: Switches are usually used to connect devices in a local area network, such as computers, printers, servers and other devices.
- Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is used to establish a wireless local area network within a specific range, so that devices can connect to the network wirelessly.
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Data forwarding method:
- Router: The router forwards the data packet to the next network node by looking up the destination address and using the routing table to determine the best path for the data.
- Switch: The switch directly transfers the data packet to the target device according to the MAC address of the target device by learning and maintaining the MAC address table, so as to realize fast data forwarding in the LAN.
- Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi uses wireless signals to transmit data from transmitting devices (such as wireless routers) to receiving devices (such as mobile phones, computers), and transmit data wirelessly.
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Device connection method:
- Router: Routers usually have multiple Ethernet interfaces (such as RJ45 ports) for wired connection with other devices (such as computers, switches).
- Switches: Switches typically have multiple Ethernet interfaces for wired connections to other devices.
- Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi routers provide wireless network connections through wireless signals, and devices can connect to the router wirelessly.
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scenes to be used:
- Router: A router is suitable for scenarios such as connecting different networks, constructing a wide area network (WAN) connection, and providing Internet access.
- Switches: Switches are suitable for building local area networks (LANs), providing high-speed and reliable data transmission within the LAN.
- Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is suitable for wireless local area network (WLAN), which enables devices to connect to the network wirelessly, which is convenient for mobile devices and wireless devices.
To sum up, routers, switches, and Wi-Fi are common devices in the network, and they differ in functions, scope, data forwarding methods, connection methods, and usage scenarios. When building a network environment, selecting appropriate devices based on requirements can establish efficient and reliable network connections.
MAC address (Media Access Control address), also known as physical address, is a unique identifier used to identify network devices. Each network interface card (Network Interface Card, NIC) has a unique MAC address, which consists of 48 binary bits, usually expressed in hexadecimal.
The format of the MAC address usually adopts 6 groups of hexadecimal numbers separated by colons or dashes, for example: 01:23:45:67:89:AB. Among them, the first three groups are OUI (Organizationally Unique Identifier), which are used to identify the device manufacturer, and the last three groups are device identification codes, which are assigned to each device by the manufacturer.
MAC address plays an important role in LAN, it is used to uniquely identify and address devices in Ethernet. When data is transmitted on the LAN, the sender will set the destination MAC address of the data packet to the MAC address of the receiver, and the destination device will identify and receive the data packet according to its own MAC address.
It should be noted that the MAC address is only valid within the scope of the LAN. Different LANs cannot directly use the MAC address to communicate, but need to forward and communicate across the network through routers and other devices. In addition, the MAC address can be manually modified, but this behavior is generally not recommended, because it may affect the normal operation of the network.