In today's world, the Internet is an essential tool that is constantly evolving and growing more complex. Its infrastructure is formed by various data transmission technologies and networks, including fiber, 4G, 5G, and coaxial. Network interconnection elements are vital to ensuring that everything runs smoothly and efficiently without any bottlenecks. This post will provide an analysis of these interconnection elements and their typology, giving you a better understanding of their role in the Internet's infrastructure. By the end of this post, you will have a clear understanding of these elements.

To answer the question of what is a network interconnection element, we are going to use the definition made by the European Internet Exchange Association (Euro-IX). According to it, an Internet Interconnection (IX) or an Internet Exchange Point (IXP) is a technical installation that allows the direct exchange of Internet traffic between two or more different systems.

What is a network interconnection element?

The Internet rests on three fundamental pillars: the services provided by Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), and other network providers that also carry traffic on the Internet and exchange it with third parties. We have to say that all this interconnection of networks occurs in a neutral way.

In order for the interconnection of networks to occur with the highest possible speed and efficiency, the action of companies such as Voiped is necessary.

Types of networking devices:

Networking devices are different types of hardware that connect network resources together. In any network, we will find switches, routers, bridges, gateways, and repeaters.

These connection elements have their own separate utility. Depending on the type of network, they will have a presence or not, since each network interconnects with others in a different way. In the interconnection we can find different situations:

• Networks made up of a single LAN
• Two LANs connected to each other.
• A LAN connecting to another WAN technology network.
• Two LAN networks are connected to each other by a WAN network.

For the interconnection to be carried out, it is necessary to use different technical equipment. Next, we review the most frequent ones.

Repeaters

Repeaters serve to extend the length of the network. They amplify weakly arriving signals and extend them to reach a greater distance. The repeater also serves to modulate the signal in addition to amplifying the intensity.

Hubs

A hub is a multiport repeater to which different cables from different network connections arrive. The hub does not filter data and information packets are sent equally to all networks that are connected to it.

Bridges or bridges

The bridge or bridge has the capacity to intervene in the data link, unlike the hub. The bridge can filter the source and destination MAC addresses. The bridge is also used to interconnect LAN networks that use the same protocol.

Switches or switches

A switch is a bridge with multiple ports. It is used to bind data very efficiently since it has the ability to check data packets for errors before resending them.

Gateways

A gateway or gateway is another connection device that allows the linking of networks with different protocols. They have the ability to convert data packets of different types to the same format.

Routers

The router links two different networks. The router or router receives the packets and sends them in the best possible way through the network.

The efficiency and neutrality of the network depend on the interconnection between different operators and different technologies. For the network to work well we have to resort to a certain interconnection infrastructure that is supported by the hardware that we have described here. Efficiency in the interconnection is essential to ensure speed and security. These two qualities are essential in companies that depend on a good internet connection to guarantee the success of their business.

If you need any network interconnection service or a technical audit on your network, contact us . We have the technical team and technological resources necessary to secure your communications on the Internet. We also have the latest technology in network interconnection elements, essential to guarantee the highest speed and quality in your communications.

Sep 06, 2021