Gateway

A generic name for a networking device that is used to connect multiple networks together. It is a hardware unit that acts as a gate between two different networks with different architectures and protocols. A gateway may be a repeater, firewall, server, bridge, router or any other device that enables traffic flow in and out of the network. Gateway is like a check post for network where all data must pass through prior to being routed. It understands and converts between two networking models, allowing users to communicate across networks.