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In order to really know what hardened Ethernet switches are, you will probably need a little bit of background information on the way they fit into the areas of computer networking and telecommunications. As you may have heard, telecommunications is just a word that signifies all the ways that, throughout human history, we have created to transmit information over long distances. This does not have to be specific to one medium; there are examples of visual telecommunications, such as smoke signals or TV images; and auditory telecommunications, such as bells or whistles, or telephone signals; among others. Some more of these ways are computer data transfer by using fiber-optic communication, and also the radio waves of WI-Fi technology. When a computer network is formed between machines or components in a small area, such as a single building or room, the network is often referred to as a local area network (a LAN). There are various types of area network. A wide-area network (WAN), for instance, is a network that encompasses a broad enough area to cross, say, metropolitan boundaries, although they can be larger. They may be used by businesses to be able to allow effective performing daily business functions. A personal area network (PAN), in contrast, is just right to connect a few personal computer devices, such as connecting a laptop to a printer and to a projector. There are some primary ways in which data is transferred in all these examples, the two most topic-related of them being Wi-Fi and Ethernet communication. The first of the previously mentioned ways that data will be transferred, primarily in small systems like a LAN, is Wi-Fi. This is a wireless connection to another device or network, made with the use of radio waves. High-speed internet connections are included in this scope of use. The second type, which is considered the more relevant to this article, is Ethernet, which is normally a system of fiber-optic cabling and also other components that transfer information. In this same exact system, switches are a type of hardware component that join other components in the system, such as network devices or segments. In standard terminology, switches like hardened Ethernet switches be handed a message from one device, and then send it to the device it is designed for (rather than a hub, which sends the message to all other devices connected to it. Whenever an Ethernet network switch is said to be hardened, it normally means that the device is meant to stand up to the elements - they can operate in extreme heat or cold, and are built to seal out undesirable substances (dirt, insects, etc.). If your networking needs require some sort of tougher switch to the ones you have now, hardened Ethernet switches may be your best bet. Check out EtherWAN Systems, Inc for more information.
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