GATEWAY

A gateway is a node on a TCP/IP network that serves as an access point to another network. They contain many devices such as protocol translators, impedance matching devices, rate converters, fault isolators, or signal translators. Gateways operate on any network layer and are more complicated than routers and switches as they communicate on more than one protocol, they are most commonly used to connect internal networks with outside networks and can act as proxy servers and firewalls.

Gateways can be placed internally within the network doing many different types of actions. Although they are mainly used to connect the internal network to external ones, this allows them to be used as a general gateway, or most commonly security and proxies. Gateways are very useful in networks, they can be used to expand the network, security, connecting different types of networks, protocol conversion and provide internal and external network connection. Gateway’s are limited by the fact they are not intelligent and they never filter out data, they are also slower, costly and hard to use.

Gateway’s may be replaced although they do many different types of features, so even if some parts of it become not as efficient, other features will still be needed. Although they are not necessary in every network they are beneficial to have within larger networks.