What is Concentrators?

Understanding Concentrators

Multiplex connected devices into one signal to be transmitted on a network. Network concentrators are devices that combine multiple network connections into a single connection, often used to improve efficiency in data transmission and reduce the number of required communication lines. They operate primarily at the physical layer of the OSI model. Modern networks typically use switches and routers rather than dedicated concentrators, though the concentration function remains important. Organizations implement concentration through modern networking equipment for efficient bandwidth utilization and network design. For example, a large manufacturing facility might use concentrators to aggregate connections from multiple industrial control systems before transmitting data to a central monitoring system. Related terms: Multiplexer, Hub, Switch, Network topology, Physical layer, Access point.