Advantages and Disadvantages of Gateway

Erfan Network August 16, 2021

A gateway is a kind of networking device that interconnects two devices in different networks so that they can communicate with each other. In other words, it acts as a gate for another network.

This Article will discuss the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Gateway.

The Advantages of a Gateway?

Adding And Configuring Smart Devices Simply And Quickly

Commissioning a network, especially a large network, is one of the most time-consuming and difficult operations in the network life cycle. Commissioning starts with making sure devices are part of the network (also known as “joining” or “pairing”). It doesn’t end there.

For a control system to be smart, it needs to support the following:

Be able to control a group of devices in a specific way that could be different for different devices (often called a scene)
Also be able to control devices, groups, or scenes on a schedule
Take input from one device on the system and use that to control another device, group, or scene.
Do all of the above in an automatic way that feels magical to the end user.

Rather than having to set up each group, schedule, and rule, the Gateway can be given a small amount of information and use this to create the network’s configuration.

Uninterrupted, Internet-Independent Operation

While cloud-based control and monitoring of on-premises IoT devices will continue to be essential, attempting to move all intelligence and routing responsibilities into the cloud has proven ineffective. This is due to the latency issues mentioned above, but a larger problem involves the need for a constant connection.

Although internet connectivity and uptime have significantly improved, frequent outages and other interruptions occur. It isn’t feasible for users and managers to risk losing control of vital devices in their offices and homes if an internet failure occurs.

In simple terms, having an on-premises gateway creates a reliable backup should internet access be interrupted. When cloud access is unavailable, gateway-based communication continues, allowing users to have uninterrupted control from on-site.

Easier To Create Rich And Useful User Interface

Every network needs a user interface. Ideally, this will be used mostly for management and configuration and only occasionally for control, since most control should be automated.

The most common example of a user interface is a mobile app. This mobile app needs to talk directly to the network on-premises and communicate through the cloud when remote.

The GGateway is responsible for exposing a reasonable interface that allows the mobile app to take these actions. The better this interface is designed, the easier it is to modify or create user interfaces.

Without a gateway, all devices would need to present a reasonable interface for a user application. This would add complexity to each device, making the user interface development far more difficult.

The other Advantages of the Gateway

Connectivity
Security
Filtering Process
Domain Control
Protocol Conversion

Connectivity

As mentioned earlier, the main benefit of a gateway is the connectivity it provides. A gateway can expand the network by connecting computers with different systems, allowing different computers to access the same information.

Security

Gateways are known to possess improved security since they allow user authentication. Forms of security, such as User ID and Password, can be imposed on gateways to prevent unwanted access. This not only protects sensitive information, but it also ensures that only authorized users have access to it.

Filtering Process

The filtering process is another important capability of a gateway. Without it, any services that arrive at the gateway risk theft. Therefore, the GGateway performs the filtering process by inspecting each data packet that passes.

Domain Control

When the number of Collision and Broadcast domains increases, the network provider can assure that they will be able to provide better bandwidth. A networking gateway has the capability to control collision and broadcast domains.

Protocol Conversion

Besides filtering, a gateway can also convert data packets according to the destination’s needs. If the destination network or architecture has different needs, it can also convert the data format accordingly. That is why it is also called the Protocol Converter.

The Disadvantages of a Gateway

Implementation
Configuration
Time Delay
Connection Failure
Troubleshooting

Implementation

Generally, gateways are installed on the routers themselves by default. This makes it more difficult for network administrators to install or configure them. Apart from this, the cost involved in the implementation process is too high.

Configuration

Device configuration through a gateway is made even more difficult or impossible. Special system administration is required for this purpose.

Time Delay

Gateway networks always cause time delays since information must be translated. An instant transfer cannot take place. In addition, a gateway must also return old cache information that is not clear properly. This can take more time, resulting in time constraints.

Connection Failure

If there is a possibility of failure occurring at the Gateway, it can lead to gateway communication loss. Devices on the opposite side will no longer be able to communicate until the problem is resolved.

Troubleshooting

Computers on a network have different protocols. Therefore, if there is any problem, each computer needs to be troubleshooted individually. This makes the process more complicated since different tools must be present.

Therefore, this Article discussed the advantages and disadvantages of a gateway, and we hope you enjoyed it.

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