difference btw proxy, gateway, router ?

[gryfon]

I'm confused because those terms seem to have similar meaning, can someone please xplain it, the differences and similarity between those things ?

thanks

 

[Confused]

Proxy: Software which acts as an "intermediate" between a client PC and the web server. Normally caches pages, which means it can serve them up quicker to client machines.
Gateway: A host which is the "default route" out of a network to another network. Often this is the router.
Router: An OSI model layer 3 device, which deals with logical addressing. It passes data between two networks with different logical addresses (such as IP addresses). Often used in SOHO installations to share an internet connection with a single public IP address to multiple PCs within a LAN (Local Area Network) using a method known as NAT (Network Address Translation)


Some may be wrong/not complete, I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along soon to correct me


Confused

 

[gryfon]

so router is also a gateway ? and proxy is software not the hardware ?
if router is osi layer3 why can it uses hardware like cisco and also using a computer running linux ?

thanks

 

[Chrono]

wtf r u talking about?
ERRRRRRRRRRR

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: gryfon
so router is also a gateway ?

Yes. Gateway is a very generic term.

and proxy is software not the hardware ?

Yes. Squid is one of the many proxies out there. Check out their site.

if router is osi layer3 why can it uses hardware like cisco and also using a computer running linux ?

If I understand things correctly, routing takes place at OSI layer 3, but other layers (like physical and datalink) are also used.

 

[gryfon]

Yes. Gateway is a very generic term.

very generic term ? then is there a feature that a router have that gateway doesn't ?

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: gryfon

Yes. Gateway is a very generic term.

very generic term ? then is there a feature that a router have that gateway doesn't ?

Maybe I don't know this as well as I sometimes think, but a router is a gateway. A bridge can be a gateway. A firewall can be a gateway. A proxy can be a gateway. A WAP can be a gateway.