Gateway, What is Gateway, Definition of Gateway, Types of Gateway, Advantages of Gateway, Disadvantages of Gateway, What is Gateway Device, Computer Gateway
Do you know What is Gateway? If yes then maybe you will have complete information about it, which is a very good thing but if not then there is nothing to worry because today we will know about this networking device. By the way, you must have seen gateway in all of our homes, I mean we can compare gateway in networking with the main door of our house. Because it is such a junction that is used for someone to go inside the network or to come out of it. That node in the internet, which is also a stopping point, we call it a host node or a gateway.
This gateway node is called the computer that is used to control and manage the traffic and bandwidth of a company’s network or ISP. Most ISPs themselves provide gateways to their users in their homes so that they can easily connect to internet. In simple language, a gateway in computer network is a kind of entrance, or a point from which the network can accessed. It is an inter operating system which has the capability to handle multiple networks at the same time. It can be in any form software or hardware. Gateway node has the function of a firewall or a proxy server in the enterprise network. That’s why today I thought why not explain to you people what is Gateway, so that it becomes easy for you to understand this networking component.
What is Gateway?
A gateway is hardware device that acts as “gate” between two networks. It can be a router, firewall, server, or any other device that enables traffic to flow in and out of the network. This gateway is a network node that connects two network using different protocols, where a bridge is used to join two similar networks, a gateway is used to join two dissimilar networks. By the way, these are only gateway, with the help of which we can send data back and forth. This internet would not be useful at all if we not use gateways then, as well as many hardware and software cannot be used.
Although it protects the nodes within the network, apart from this it is also a node itself. This node is located at the edge of the network and all data files through it, which enters or exits the network. Along with this, it can also translate the received data, which is received from outside networks, into a format or protocol that can be recognized by devices within the internal network.
Types of Gateway
No matter what type of network gateway you use in your homes or small business, the function of all of them is always the same. It connects to your local area network (LAN) and all the devices that are in this network and then to any devices where it wants to go.
1. In home networks and small business, a broadband router typically serves as a network gateway. It connects devices that are in your homes or in small business, with the internet. A gateway is a very important feature of a router. Routers are the most common type of gateway.
2. In some cases, such as in a residence where dial-up internet access is used, the gateway may be a router at the location of the internet service provider. It could not become very popular because the popularity of dial-up access started decreasing gradually.
3. Some small businesses configure a computer to serve as a gateway to the internet, rather than to be used as a router. This method requires two network adapters- one is connected to the local network and the other is connected to the internet.
How does Gateway work?
A gateway is one of the many ways by which our data moves across the web. The gateway provides us entry into many different networks so that we can send email, browse web pages, buy things online and much more. You can say that this device gives us freedom, information as well as convenience which we enjoy online. It is a data communication device that provides a remote network that has connectivity to a host network.
It acts as an entry and exit point for a network; all the data which is routed inward or outward has to be passed first and also has to be communicated in the gateway so that they can use the correct routing paths. Often a router is configured to act as a gateway device in computer networks. All networks have a boundary or a limit so that all communication that is placed in the network is conducted using devices that are attracted to it, including switches and routers.
Computer Gateway
On the other hand, if in network node wants to communicate with the node/ network that is outside the network, then that network needs the service of a gateway, which in a way is very familiar to other remote with the routing path of networks. Gateway or default gateway is implemented in the boundary of the network so that it manage is all the data communication that is Rooted internally or externally from that network. In addition to routing packets, gateways also contain other information such as the host networks internal paths and learned paths to different remote networks. If a network node wants to communicate with a foreign network then it will pass the data packet to the gateway, which will rout it to the destination, that too in the best possible path.
What is Gateway Security?
This Gateway generally works according to a safeguard of a local network and also connects the local network with the public network. This device offers security such as a firewall in which techniques like NAT are used. Gateway facilitating machine is also used with local internet protocol addresses to access the internet by a Gateway inclusive address. It receives packets from the local network and alternate its external IP address and a new port address in this resource fields of the IP and UDP headers.
Functions of Gateway
1. Web Application Firewall
These are used to filter traffic to and from the web server, as well as handling application-layer data.
2. API, SOA or XML
These manage the traffic that is flowing in and out of the service, micro services oriented architecture or an XML based web service.
3. IoT
It aggregates sensor data, together it translate between sensor protocols, it also process sensor data before sending it further.
4. Cloud Storage
It translates the storage request through many different cloud storage services API calls.
5. Media
It converts data from one format to another format which is required by different networks.
6. Amazon API
This allows a developer to connect non-AWS applications with AWS back-end resources.
7. VoIP Trunk
It helps to use plain old telephone service (POTS) equipment, such as landline phones and fax machines, with a voice IP (VoIP) network.
8. Email Security
It protects the transmission of emails that break company policy and want to transfer information for malicious purposes.
Uses of Gateway
1. A gateway can be implemented with Software, Hardware and sometimes a mixture of these. There are many equipment and techniques that are processed such as voice and data communication.
2. These gateways are an excellent option to achieve multimedia communications between dissimilar and networks as each network has different protocols and characteristics.
3. These are a kind of key mechanism in any telephonic communications. Because these devices offer a bridge between the telephone network and the internet.
Advantages of Gateway
1. Flexibility
Some networks are set up with the help of a router. A router can be used in computers that you similar protocols, which means they have same your hardware and software installed. A gateway grants more flexibility to your network because it can translate information from computer that are from different systems. This means that many types of computers can be set up in the same gateway and the same information can be exist from each computer.
2. Increases Security
Gateway can be programmed to grant or deny certain user privileges. It also allow user authentication so a password or some other form of security is very important before a user has access to it. For those networks which have sensitive information, it is very useful for them because only privilege user will have permission to access the information. This type of security is mostly featured in all network so that they can remove unwanted access.
Disadvantages of Gateway
1. Time Delay
Since a gateway always has to translate information into different protocol before passing them on, time delays are common when using gateway networks.
2. Troubleshooting is difficult
This devices follow a very rigid process and hence cannot be programmed easily. It is not easy to troubleshoot them correctly because different tools are required while finding problems in computers and that two indifferent protocols.
FAQ
1. What is Gateway?
Ans. A gateway is hardware device that acts as “gate” between two networks.
2. What are the functions of Gateway?
Ans. Web Application Firewall, API, SOA, XML, IoT, Cloud Storage, Media, Amazon API, VoIP Trunk, Email Security.
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