
Reference Models and Network Devices 35
Routers are generally expensive and difficult
to configure and maintain. They are critical com-
ponents of a network and if they fail, the network
services will be significantly impaired. Most
routers operate by examining incoming or outgo-
ing signals for information at the network layer.
In addition, they can permit or deny network
communications with a particular network.
Gateway
It is an internetworking device, which joins net-
works operating on different protocols together.
It is also known as protocol converter. A gateway
accepts the packet formatted for one protocol
and converts the formatted ...