A gateway, also known as an interconnector or protocol converter, achieves network interconnection above the network layer. It is a complex network interconnection device that is only used for interconnecting two networks with different high-level protocols. Gateways can be used for both Wide Area Network (WAN) and Local Area Network (LAN) interconnections.
A gateway is a computer system or device that performs the heavy-duty task of conversion. It acts as a translator between two systems that use different communication protocols, data formats, languages, or even have entirely different architectures. Unlike bridges, which simply convey information, gateways repack the received information to meet the requirements of the target system. They operate at the application layer of the network architecture.
