Which device regenerates digital signals, allowing the network media to exceed its recommended length?

The role of a repeater is to regenerate digital signals as they travel across a network. This device is essential for extending the distance over which a signal can effectively travel by amplifying or reconstructing the digital signal. By doing so, a repeater allows the network media to exceed its recommended length without degrading the quality of the signal, which can often diminish over longer distances due to attenuation and interference.

In a network scenario, if a cable's maximum allowable length is reached, the signal may weaken to the point of being unusable. A repeater acts as a solution to this problem by receiving the incoming signal, cleaning it up, and then retransmitting it at full strength. This extends the range and ensures that the data being transmitted remains accurate and reliable even over longer distances.

Other devices like switches, routers, and bridges serve different functions in a network. Switches are used to manage packet switching through connected devices within the same network, while routers direct data between different networks based on IP addressing. Bridges connect and filter traffic between network segments, which is more about managing and controlling data flow rather than regenerating signals.