Networking Hardware 101

🎙️ Welcome back to BROtocol JOE Breakdown!

In this episode, we’re keeping it simple and starting at the source — how your devices actually get online.

We're talking about the essential networking hardware that makes the internet possible: modems, routers, switches, access points, and NICs. Whether you're on Wi-Fi or plugged in with an Ethernet cable, this gear works together behind the scenes to take your Google searches, streams, and memes from your device to the web.

This is a very intro-level breakdown — perfect if you're just starting your IT journey or studying for your A+ or Network+ cert. We’ll go deeper into DNS, NAT, IP addressing, and protocols in future episodes — but today, we’re laying the foundation.

Let’s break it down.

A clear, beginner-friendly explanation of how key networking devices (modem, router, switch, access point, NIC) work together to get you connected to the internet (WWW).