A gateway is a hardware device that acts as a "gate" between two networks. It may be a router, firewall, server, or other device that enables traffic to flow in and out of the network.
Gateways
serve as an entry and exit point for a network as all data must pass through or
communicate with the gateway prior to being routed.
The
primary advantage of using a gateway in personal or enterprise scenarios is
simplifying internet connectivity into one device. In the enterprise, a gateway
node can also act as a proxy server and a firewall. Gateways can be purchased
through popular technology retailers, such as Best Buy, or rented through an
internet service provider.
How
gateways work
All
networks have a boundary that limits communication to devices that are directly
connected to it. Due to this, if a network wants to communicate with devices,
nodes or networks outside of that boundary, they require the functionality of a
gateway. A gateway is often characterized as being the combination of a router
and a modem.
The
gateway is implemented at the edge of a network and manages all data that is
directed internally or externally from that network. When one network wants to
communicate with another, the data packet is passed to the gateway and then
routed to the destination through the most efficient path. In addition to
routing data, a gateway will also store information about the host network’s
internal paths and the paths of any additional networks that are encountered.
Gateways
are basically protocol converters, facilitating compatibility between two
protocols and operating on any layer of the open systems interconnection (OSI)
model.
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