Q: Im confused, because these terms seem synonymous, can someone please xplain IT, the differences and similarities between those things?
thanks
Re:Originally posted by: guy
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.
Re:Yes. Gateway is a very generic term.
very generic term ? then is there a feature that a router have that gateway doesn't ?
Re:Originally posted by: guy
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.
Re:wtf r u talking about?
ERRRRRRRRRRR
Re: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
Re: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 
guy
0 Comments.