Network infrastructure is typically part of the IT infrastructure found in most enterprise IT environments. The entire network infrastructure is interconnected, and can be used for internal communications, external communications or both. A typical network infrastructure includes:
- Networking Hardware
- Routers
- Switches
- LAN cards
- Wireless routers
- Cables
- Networking Software
- Network operations and management
- Operating systems
- Firewall
- Network security applications
- Network Services
- T-1 Line
- DSL
- Satellite
- Wireless protocols
- IP addressing
What is Network Infrastructure?
Network Infrastructure is a category of information technology that is used to provide network services that allow devices to connect and communicate. This includes foundational networking hardware, software, services and facilities. The following are common examples of network infrastructure.
Routers
Routers connect devices and networks together by forwarding traffic. This is how traffic gets from one place to another on a network such as the internet.
Switches
Switches connect devices to a network by forwarding traffic. For example, the computers in office might be connected to switches as a means of creating a local area network.
Hubs
A simple type of switch that forwards al traffic to every connected device.
Bridges
Network bridges create a single network from multiple networks.
Gateways
Devices that provide an interface between different types of networks. Essentially translates between different types of signal and/or protocol.
Proxies
Devices that make requests on behalf of clients. Often used to monitor, filter and log traffic on a corporate network.
Servers
A server is a computer that provides a service to other computers. For example, a web server that provides web pages to client devices.
Load Balancers
Devices that distribute work to server to allow services to horizontally scale.
Reverse Proxy
A server that appears to clients to be a server that is really forwarding requests to servers. A reverse proxy may perform services such as load balancing, encryption and security.
Ethernet
A family of standards for networking that includes various cable technologies and compatible computing devices, switches, hubs and routers.
Wireless Access Points
Hardware that allows wireless device to connect to a wired network. Typically provides a wifi service.
Optical Fiber
High capacity cables that are used to create large networks including internet backbones, global area networks, wide area networks, metropolitan area networks and campus area networks. It is also common for network endpoints to be connected with optical fiber.
Repeaters
A device that receives a signal and retransmits it. Often required to transmit data great distances.
Optical Amplifier
A device that is similar to a repeater for fiber optics. Increases the strength of an optical signal directly without converting to an electrical signal.
Interconnects
Facilities where networks connect to each other to exchange traffic.
Firewalls
A firewalls controls network traffic based on a set of rules. A basic too for network security.
Intrusion Detection Systems
Services that monitor network traffic for malicious activity or policy violations.
Intrusion Prevention Systems
Server that monitor network traffic to detect and prevent vulnerability exploits.
Identity & Access Management
Platforms for managing authorization and authentication.
Key Management
Tools for managing encryption keys.
Certificate Authority
Services that public certificates that describe organizations and their public encryption keys. Basic infrastructure for encryption on the internet such as SSL and TLS.
DNS
The domain name system, or DNS, is a global distributed system for translating domain names to IP addresses.
DHCP
Dynamic host configuration protocol, or DHCP, is a service that automatically assigns IP addresses to device.
SMTP
Simple mail transfer protocol, or SMTP, is a type of service that delivers email.
VOIP
Technologies for voice communications over internet protocol. For example, software that allows you to make long distance phone calls using an internet connection.
VPN
Virtual private network, or VPN, are services for securely connecting to a private network over an untrusted network such as the internet. For example, VPN software that allows an employee to connect to an office local area network from home.
Content Delivery Network
Services that allow publishers to server content such as images and videos from a data center that is close to each user to reduce latency.
Edge Computing
Services that allow you to compute in different geographical locations to achieve scale and to compute more efficiently by processing data geographically close to clients and/or data sources.
Network Management System
Tools for operating, managing and deploying network devices.