INTRODUCTION

Network Elements
Choosing how and when to use the right network element is very crucial in designing a network. it is very important for you to spend extra time in studying this section

The network symbols for different networking elements
We will now discuss the different types of network elements in detail.

Network Interface Card (NIC) or a Network Adapter
The NIC is a hardware mounted onto a computer that can translate, send and received data across the network. It serves as the interface between the computer and the network medium.The NIC operates in the Layer 1 and 2 of the OSI Reference model. Although it is not a separate element by itself, the NIC is an essential element that makes computer networking possible. Without the NIC, there would be no networking.

PCI Ethernet cards, PCMCIA and USB devices
Each NIC has a unique 48-bit identifier burned into its chip. It is called a MAC (Media Access Control) Address. This identifier plays an important role in switching processes, which we will discuss in the next lessons to come.




Repeater
The simplest network element available is the repeater. It is made up of justone input port and one output port. It can only be used on Bus topologies.What the repeater does is only to amplify the same data signals it receives.