Gateway (telecommunications)

Gateway (telecommunications)

In telecommunications, the term gateway has the following meaning:

• In a communications network, a network node equipped for interfacing with another network that uses different protocols.
  • A gateway may contain devices such as protocol translators, impedance matching devices, rate converters, fault isolators, or signal translators as necessary to provide system interoperability. It also requires the establishment of mutually acceptable administrative procedures between both networks.
  • A protocol translation/mapping gateway interconnects networks with different network protocol technologies by performing the required protocol conversions.
• Loosely, a computer or computer program configured to perform the tasks of a gateway. For a specific case, see default gateway.

Gateways, also called protocol converters, can operate at any network layer. The activities of a gateway are more complex than that of the router or switch as it communicates using more than one protocol.