Some of the planning decisions that you must make about hardware include the following:
Network topology, the layout, and connections of the network hardware
Type and number of systems your network can support, including the virtual systems that might be required on your server
Network devices to be installed in these systems
Type of network media to use, such as Ethernet, and so on
Use of bridges, routers, and firewalls to extend the network media or connect the local network to external networks