What is network equipment?

Network equipment encompasses a wide range of hardware devices that enable communication and data transfer between devices on a network. This includes routers, switches, hubs, modems, firewalls, and network interface cards (NICs). Routers direct network traffic between different networks, switches connect devices within a network, hubs connect devices in a network but pass all data to all connected devices, modems modulate and demodulate signals for transmission over communication channels, firewalls protect networks from unauthorized access, and NICs allow devices to connect to a network. These devices are essential for creating and maintaining local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and the internet.