Network Gateways connect two or more network segments to another segment, typically converting one network protocol or format to another. Gateways work on layer 4 or greater (Protocols, sessions, application layer, etc.) as compared to network hubs (layer 1), switches (layer 2) or routers (layer 3).
Examples of network gateways are
- IP to SIP (Voice over IP) connecting the IP network to the Telephony network
- Cloud Storage Gateway – connects the private network to cloud storage services using storage network protocols
- IoT Gateway – collects data from IoT clients doing a store-and-forward and other data transformations and transfers the data over a LAN or WAN to a central repository
Synonyms
Gateway