computer science

Inter-network processors

Inter-network processors is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Inter-network processors rather than just read about it. In short: Inter-network processors are special-purpose processors which aid in the interconnection of telecommunications networks. Most commonly used inter-network processors are switches, bridges, hubs, routers and gateways.

Key takeaways

Inter-network processors belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Inter-network processors to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Inter-network processors from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Inter-network processors are special-purpose processors which aid in the interconnection of telecommunications networks. Most commonly used inter-network processors are switches, bridges, hubs, routers and gateways. Switches act as interfaces for communication between telecommunications circuits in a networked environment. In addition, most modern switches have integrated network managing capabilities and may operate on numerous layers of the OSI reference model. Switches usually come as managed or unmanaged. Unmanaged switches commonly have no management interface and/or configuration options, while their counterparts offer interfaces for modification of switch operation. A bridge can connect numerous local area networks for the purpose of collaboration and/or exchange of information. However, the local area networks must be using the same sets of communication rules or protocols for a bridge interconnection to be successful. In slight contrast, routers are considered intelligent communications processors, which do the same thing as bridges do, namely connect two or more networks, but they allow specification of different protocols to be required factors in the interconnection process rather than the entire protocol suite. Routers are generally optimized for Ethernet LAN interfaces and are likely not to contain any other types of physical interfaces. Hubs are communications processors which allow for port-switching, similarly to switches. Both of these processors support automatic port-switching in order to provide shared resources access to the users of a particular networked environment. However, hubs do not manage traffic so every packet that enters any port is in output on every other port, resulting in packet collisions that interrupt the flow of traffic. When networks do not use the same protocols for the purpose of communication, they can be connected via gateways, using protocol conversion processes. In addition, gateways require congruent or at least mutually acceptable administrative procedures between the interconnecting networks. The duties of a gateway are usually much more complex than those of switches or routers.

References LAN Internetworking Devices: Bridges (1999). Data Communications Networking Devices. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Retrieved March 6, 2009, from Computers & Applied Sciences Complete database. LAN Internetworking Devices: Gateways (1999). Data Communications Networking Devices. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Retrieved March 6, 2009, from Computers & Applied Sciences Complete database. O’Brien J. A. & Marakas, G. M. (2008). Management Information Systems. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Routers (2003). Ethernet Networks. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Retrieved March 6, 2009, from Computers & Applied Sciences Complete database.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Inter-network processors

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Inter-network processors claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Inter-network processors before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Inter-network processors ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Inter-network processors

In research: Inter-network processors appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Inter-network processors in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Inter-network processors is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Telecommunications infrastructure, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Inter-network processors outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Inter-network processors in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Inter-network processors means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Inter-network processors out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Inter-network processors in simple terms?

Why does Inter-network processors matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Inter-network processors?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Inter-network processors.