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Computer hardware is the physical part of a computer which has been rapidly evolving ever since the first computer ENIAC was invented. The invention of the integrated circuit and then the microprocessor finally led to the launch of the first IBM PC in 1981. Intel chairman Gordon Moore's law on CPU evolution states that the number of transistors on CPUs doubles about every 18 months. World's first microprocessor Intel 4004 designed by Federico Faggin in the year 1971 had about 100 transisters whilst the recent the 64-bit desktop processor, the AMD Athlon based on Hammer technology contains approximately 100 million transistors.
Computer Hardware Parts
Computer hardware, with reference to a desktop, primarily consists of the following components: central processing unit (CPU), math coprocessor, motherboard, hard drives, memory, and graphic cards, etc. Peripheral devices like the monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, scanner, multimedia equipment, modem, web camera, etc., are also considered as computer hardware. A recent addition to computer hardware parts is the Universal Serial Bus or the USB. The USB port is responsible for the installation of drivers and their functions whenever a new device is plugged in. It eliminates the process of rebooting whenever a new computer hardware part has to be installed. USB port supports up to 127 new devices to be installed in a single computer. Most of the plug-in boards available under the category Plug-and Play are to a large extent compatible with the recent OS (operating System) installed on a PC. Computer hardware includes the video adapter, especially required for excellent quality of displays while playing games on the computer. The AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) interface enables high performance graphics especially at 3D levels. It supports 64-bit data transfer and has a clock speed of several hundred MHz.
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Typical Motherboard |
Universal Serial Bus Plug |
Benchmarking
Benchmarking is generally done to gauge the performance of a hardware system. Most common benchmark tests are those that involve application programs. Throughput tests for NIC and other network components typically use a large size file to be copied under the test conditions and compared against a defined standard performance. Similarly Video Cards performance is measured in recent times using the ever-popular Quake engine rendering in frames per second.
Networking Hardware
Networking assists in sharing files, applications, work-specific data, and peripheral computer hardware among a group of users. Network hardware comprises PC hardware, Network Interface Cards (NICs), hubs, switches, cables, routers, etc. Network Interface Cards installed on different PCs differ, depending on the need and usage in a typical networked environment. The operating system used on a network allows users to share their resources effectively by controlling the entire operation. In a Local Area Network or LAN, Network Interface Cards installed in PCs connect several computers in a "local area". In other words, PCs in an entire building or one floor in a building could be connected through a network. The computers may share a printer or a modem in a LAN environment. Wide Area Network or WAN, as the name suggests, encompasses a larger area and comprises two or more LANs. Ethernet and Fast Ethernet are similar to LAN and they support high data transfer rates. Ethernet NICs and Fast Ethernet adapters like Gigabit NICs provide high network performance and faster throughput.
Network Hardware
Network Interface Cards connect a PC to a network. The speed of a NIC to send data to a network depends on the number of bits that can be transferred to a NIC. In the OSI seven layer network model, hubs, switches, and routers use the physical, data link, and network layers. Hubs are devices that connect all PCs to a network server or another hub. PCs plug in to various ports provided by the hubs. Different types of hubs are available in the market. Switches have a specific task to perform. They identify data and send them to the correct ports. Bridges and Routers help LANs connect to each other. Routers work more intelligently than switches. Routers are often used where data transfer takes place between complex groups of LANs. Several LANs and route packets can be connected using switches. Routers transfer data from one network to another using network protocol such as TCP/IP. CISCO is the market leader in routers.
Firewall Hardware
Firewall hardware is a combination of routers and servers and is used along with a combination of software to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data on a computer or in a networked environment. Firewall hardware has become a necessity because hacking has emerged as a buzzword in the field of cyber crime. Hackers could access important data or confidential matter. Firewall hardware along with software works by controlling networking traffic by applying certain rules. Firewalls record all communication or data transfer between internal and external networks. In the already secure environments of FreeBSD, OpenBSD and Linux - OpenSource ipchains and Iptables arethe dominant firewall software used even by the some of the Federal Agencies. Some of the methods used by firewalls are packet filtering, proxy service, and stateful inspection. These methods work to control traffic across a network. Packets of data are filtered and only those that are required by the system are sent while others are blocked. In a proxy service, the firewall acts an information retriever. It gathers information from the Internet and then sends it through the network. The latest method used by firewalls is the stateful inspection method. It compares only important parts of a packet to a database and only when this incoming information reasonably complies with the database, it is allowed to travel across the network.
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