What Is a Network Repeater ?

A repeater is a device similar to the Hub, but has additional features. It also works in the Physical layer. The repeaters are used in places where amplification of input signal is necessary. But, the kind of amplification done by the repeater is different from the regular amplification by amplifiers. The regular amplifies everything fed into it. That means, if the input signal has noise induced into it, both the desired signal and noise signal are together amplified. But, in the case of a repeater, it regenerates the input signal, and amplifies only the desirable signal. Hence, the noise component of the signal is eliminated.

The repeaters are necessary since, during the transmission of the signals over long distances, the signal has attenuation, delay distortions and noise, which lead in loss of data. Hence, in order to prevent this, the regenerative repeaters are used. Hence, the repeater regenerates the faded signal. In addition, it has all the features of a Hub. One common problem between the repeaters and the Hubs are that only one transmission can take place on the network at a particular time. If multiple devices transmit data simultaneously, there will be data collision.

• Makes it easy to expand a network over a large distance.
• Connection between various types of media [ fibre optic, UTF, coaxial cable] is possible.

• Traffic cannot be filtered to ease congestion.
• A repeater cannot work across multiple network architectures.

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