A Brief Review on Network Gateway

Introduction

Network Gateway
A network gateway joins two systems so the devices on one system can communicate with the devices on another system. Without gateways, you couldn't have the option to get to the internet, communicate and send data to and fro. A gateway can be implemented completely in software, hardware, or a combination of both. Because a network gateway by definition appears at the edge of a system, related capabilities such as firewalls and proxy servers tend to be integrated with it.
The Concept of Gateway

The Concept of Network Gateway

A gateway is a node (router) in a computer network, a key stopping point for data on its way to or from other systems. With gateways, we can convey information to and fro. The Internet wouldn't be any use to us without gateways (as well as a lot of other hardware and software).

In a workplace, the gateway is the computer that routes traffic from a workstation to the outside network that is serving up the Web pages. For basic Internet connections at home, the gateway is the Internet Service Provider that gives you access to the whole Internet.

A node is simply a physical spot where the data stops for either transporting or reading. (A computer or modem is a node; a computer cable isn't.) Here are a few node notes:

• On the Internet, the node that's a stopping point can be a gateway or a host node.


• A computer that controls the traffic your Internet Service Provider (ISP) receives is a node.

Having a wireless network at home that gives your entire family access to Internet, your gateway there is the modem (or modem-router combo) your ISP provides so you can have access to their network. On the other end, the computer that controls all of the data traffic your Internet Service Provider (ISP) takes and sends out is itself a node.

When a computer-server acts as a gateway, it also operates as a firewall and a proxy server. A firewall keeps out unwanted traffic and outsiders off a private network. A proxy server is software that "sits" between programs on your computer that you use (such as a Web browser) and a computer server—the computer that serves your network. The proxy server's task is to make sure the real server can handle your online data requests.

Gateway Vs Router

A gateway is often associated with a router. A router is hardware a small piece of computer/network-related equipment that provides you access to the Internet. In home networks for instance, the router comes with special software that you install on one computer. You will then be able to use the software to set up your home network so that everyone allowed on your network can have access to the ISP and the Internet. A router can be connected to two or more networks at a time, but for home networks that's generally not the case.

When you do a Google search or compose an email and hit "Send," your computer sends the data to your router. Your router then, which is hardwired to do its job right, figures out the next destination of the data based on its "comprehension" of the condition of the networks.

A gateway is one of the many ways our data is moved over the Web for us. The gateway gives us entry into different networks so we can send email, look at Web pages and so on. In a nutshell gateways deliver the freedom, information and convenience we enjoy online.

Routers can be gateways at times because it can control the path through which information is sent in and out. It does so by using built-in headers and forwarding tables to figure out where packets of data need to be sent. Those packets of data carry your emails, transactions, online activity and so on.
The differences between gateways and routers can often be confusing especially when we look at the similarities between the two.

The Similarities.
Both devices are used to regulate network traffic between two or more separate networks. This is done by installing at least two network cards into the device and placing the device between the two networks to be regulate. This process involves attaching one network card to each network.

The Differences
Gateways regulate traffic between two dissimilar networks, while routers regulate traffic between similar networks. For instance, suppose you have a Windows 2000 network that’s using TCP/IP as its primary protocol. Because TCP/IP is also the primary protocol of the Internet, you could use a router to connect your network to the Internet. The router would ensure that:

• Traffic intended for the local network doesn’t bleed onto the Internet.


• Traffic residing on the Internet that’s not specifically intended for your network stays on the Internet.

Of course, routers can also be used to segment traffic on corporate networks. This feature is useful on really big networks when you need to reduce the amount of traffic flowing across the network. You can use a router to divide the network into segments and thus allow only traffic that’s specifically intended for a different segment to flow across the router.

A gateway, on the other hand, joins dissimilar systems. The best example of a gateway would be a device that joins a PC network with a 3270 mainframe environment or a device that allows a Windows NT network to communicate with a NetWare network. Although a gateway can be used to reduce network traffic, it’s more often used to make communication possible in dissimilar environments.

Gateway Vs Proxy and Firewall
Both a proxy server and a gateway route traffic from inside a network to the Internet and Firewall on the other hand control the flow of network traffic. A gateway, however, is more like an entrance to get to the Internet, while a proxy server acts like a wall that bars the inside of the network from being exposed to the Internet and Firewall providing a first line of defense against external attacks and blocking access to Improper content from inside an organization. Firewalls control the movement of network traffic in to or out of leaving the host or organization's border or outer boundary and proxy server filters which connection is allowed, while a gateway doesn't filter anything.

Gateways
For two networks to communicate, a gateway must be provided from each network. The gateway defines what is internal to the network and what is external. If a computer needs to communicate with another computer outside the network, it must be configured with a gateway to gain access outside the network. Without a gateway, a computer will be unable to get out, like someone locked inside a house.

Proxy Servers
A proxy server represents the network from the outside. Any user trying to gain access to any computer inside a network with a proxy will only see the IP address of the proxy server. It acts like a barrier to hide your network by configuring the Internet options of computers within the network to first point to the proxy server before going out to the Internet. It keeps computers inside the network anonymous.

Firewalls
A firewall is the main defense in the perimeter of a private network. It's an essential component for detecting and protecting the network from unwanted traffic, potentially dangerous content and intrusion attempts and flagging up these threats to the network administrator. The perimeter firewall blocks incoming network traffic from accessing internal networks and hosts and bars outgoing traffic from accessing undesirable external networks and hosts; for example, organizations might block access to Facebook or other social media sites. As such, a perimeter firewall can be thought of as having an internal and external interface.