The role of gateways in computer networks

A gateway is a computer on a network that provides an interface between two applications or networks that use different protocols. It is also used to provide connectivity to the Internet. A gateway in a network converts information from one protocol to another before it is transmitted across the network. For example, if one computer on the Internet sends an email to another computer, the gateway converts the message from one protocol to another and sends it back.

This article will discuss the need and function of gateways in computer networks.

How does a gateway work?

A computer gateway is a server with software installed on it that connects networks and routes data. A gateway node can be connected to different routers or have a router that connects it to other networks or the Internet. The connection can be wired or wireless.

A computer server can act as a gateway node in any development team of any business organization and sometimes also acts as a proxy server or firewall. A computer gateway in a network checks the data packets before passing them to another network. It checks the compatibility between the two networks and then converts the data packets to ensure that it can be transmitted between the two networks.

A gateway node can also be connected to servers for specific purposes, such as email, web hosting, and database storage. It can also be part of a wider network, such as the Internet. In this case, the gateway node will have its own IP address, so that it can route incoming traffic from different networks to its primary interface and send it to the Internet. However, this is one of many possible configurations for a gateway node, and others are possible.

Gateway Functions

A gateway in a network is a device that connects the Internet to a local area network. It can even act as a bridge between two networks.

A network gateway has two functions.

• LAN to WAN function, connects LAN to the Internet.
• WAN-to-LAN capability, connecting the Internet to a remote LAN.

When a data packet arrives at the gateway, the source header information is first verified. Once the destination IP is verified and any packet errors are checked, the data and protocol of the packet are converted according to the requirements of the destination network. Finally, the packet is transmitted to the destination IP address by establishing a dedicated transmission channel.

A gateway in the network is also part of any phone system, providing a bridge between the phone network and the internet. For example, you want to set up a direct call for a customer. A real-time communication gateway will perform several tasks, automatically detecting the customer's current location and converting audio back and forth between different technologies.

Gateways filter data packets to isolate corporate networks from the public network. They are often used to isolate networks to ensure the security of local and public networks. Gateways use a technology called NAT to provide the same protection as firewalls.

Types of Gateways in Computer Networks

There are two types of gateways in computer networks - bidirectional and unidirectional. Here is a brief introduction to both types.

• Unidirectional Gateways: can transfer data in only one direction. Changes can be made in the source terminal and they are replicated to all other target nodes or applications without making changes to them themselves. These gateways act as archiving tools.

A unidirectional gateway consists of both hardware and software. The technology allows data to flow from one source network to another, but it cannot actually send any data back to the source network. Instead, the gateway software emulates the protocol server and device when replicating the database.

• Bidirectional Gateways: These gateways enable bidirectional flow of data in the network. All tasks can be performed synchronously as it replicates the changes made on the source node to the target node and vice versa. In short, a bidirectional gateway acts as a synchronization program or tool.

In a bidirectional gateway setup, changes made to the content of the source object server are transferred to the target object server, and the target object server replicates its alerts to the source object server.

Example of a gateway in a network

• IoT Gateway: It is the central hub between IoT devices and cloud servers. It usually allows bidirectional data flow, and the incoming data flow is processed by the "cloud". IoT gateway is also called control layer or intelligent gateway.
• Network Gateway: Network gateways are used to translate traffic across protocols. These translations make it possible to connect networks that use various protocols or data formats and are translated inline by the network gateway.

Network gateways are essential for connecting enterprise LANs to the public Internet. Many enterprises use different protocols than those used on the public Internet, but some of these communications may flow to the Internet.

• Payment Gateway: The system that collects payment data from the client and sends it to the acquirer is called a payment gateway.
• Media Gateway: This is a device used in a telecommunications operator's main network to convert and interconnect media streams that use various wireless standards, codecs, communication protocols, and physical connections, allowing phones to work correctly between networks using different systems.
• Default Gateway: This is a node that establishes a link across a network so that computers on different networks can communicate with each other. The "default" element of the phrase refers to the fact that it is usually the first and default route used.
• Email Security Gateway: An email security solution that sits between the public internet and corporate email servers. This location enables it to scan emails for malicious content before they reach the corporate network. However, the architecture of this gateway makes it unsuitable for protecting newer cloud-based email platforms.
• VoIP Trunk Gateway: A VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) trunk gateway is a device that connects PSTN equipment to a VoIP network. It does this without the need for an operator. These gateways offer a wide range of services, the most common of which is low-cost telephony.
• Web Application Firewalls: These firewalls provide a high level of security for network system connections. When a client seeks to access server resources such as web pages, files, and databases, the client initially establishes a connection with the proxy server, which then connects to the main server.

Summarize

A gateway in a network is often used in conjunction with a router. A router is a tiny computer/networking device that connects to the Internet. Routers come with specific software installed for home networks.

A router acts as a gateway in a network because it regulates the path of data in and out. It does this by using built-in headers and forwarding tables to determine where packets of data should be routed. These packets contain emails, transactions, internet activity, etc.

A gateway is one of the many ways we transfer data over the internet. The gateway allows us to connect to many networks, send emails, browse websites, shop online, etc. The gateway effortlessly provides us with the freedom, knowledge, and convenience we enjoy online.

When individuals have hundreds of wearable and mobile devices that need to interact inside and outside the home, it will no longer make sense to have a fixed router in the home to regulate traffic: all devices will communicate with each other and with the internet directly.

FAQ

Q: What is the difference between a gateway and a router?

A: A router is a device or hardware that is responsible for receiving, processing and routing data packets to other networks. The router detects the destination IP address of the data packet and therefore identifies the best path to send the data packet with the help of the header and forwarding table.

A gateway in a network is a device or piece of hardware that acts as a "gate" between networks. Therefore, it can also be described as a node that acts as an entry point to other nodes in the network. It is also responsible for allowing traffic to flow on the network. Since a gateway communicates over multiple protocols, its operation is much more complex than a switch or router.

Q: Are gateways and firewalls the same?

A gateway is essentially a hardware or software interface that enables two networks to connect. It effectively connects two different networks, allowing users to interact across multiple networks. A firewall is a security tool that tracks and regulates network traffic. It is at the heart of an organization's security architecture. Firewalls exclude unauthorized users from private networks connected to the Internet, especially intranets. It also monitors incoming and outgoing traffic based on predefined criteria, preventing suspicious traffic, such as viruses and hackers.

Q: Which layer of equipment is the gateway?

Gateways are usually implemented at the network layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) architecture, but can be placed at any OSI layer. Virtual or standalone gateways can be placed anywhere in the network where translation is required. They can be unidirectional (allowing data to flow in one direction only) or bidirectional (providing data to flow in both directions).

Q: Does the gateway have an IP address?

The default gateway IP address is the private IP address of the router. The router uses this address to interact with the local home network. In addition, the gateway is assigned two IP addresses. The first one is an external IP address issued by the ISP (Internet Service Provider), while the second one is an internal IP address that can only be accessed within its own network.