Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

• Explain the purpose of different network types.
• Differentiate between LAN, WAN, MAN, PAN, VPN, Intranet, and Extranet.
• Understand the roles of routers, switches, hubs, modems, gateways, access points, firewalls, and load balancers.
• Explain how data flows through these networking devices.
• Connect networking hardware to cloud computing and DevOps.
• Identify common interview questions related to network types and devices.

Introduction

Imagine walking into a modern office.

Employees are connected to printers, file servers, cloud applications, the internet, VoIP phones, and Wi-Fi—all at the same time.

None of this happens by chance.

Behind the scenes, different types of networks and networking devices work together to ensure that data reaches the correct destination quickly, efficiently, and securely.

As a DevOps engineer, you'll frequently encounter networking concepts when configuring cloud environments, troubleshooting connectivity issues, deploying applications, or designing infrastructure.

Before learning IP addressing and subnetting, it's important to understand where devices communicate (network types) and how they communicate (network devices).

Part 1 — Network Types

Networks are classified based on their geographical coverage, ownership, and purpose.