External canister filters usually sit under your tank in your cabinet. Media varies, and most canisters can take a variety of media items. You will be given basic instructions with your filter on what to put in it, but as you get more comfortable with the filter, you will see there are other options besides just what is made for that brand. The bio balls, ceramic rings, bio stars, etc. all go in the filter to provide a place for the good bacteria to grow. Some filters have sponges or foam in them also which can collect bacteria, but are mainly to catch and filter out particles of waste. Some also have cotton pads which are in the final stage of filtration and filter out minute particles before the water goes back into the tank. All this media is usually layered and the water is forced through it. You can also add carbon, ammonia eliminators, etc. to this combination when these things are needed. I have the filstar series canisters and the water first goes through 4-6 foam pads, then the bio material (one has bio balls, and the other has a combination of ceramic rings and bio stars), and finally through the cotton pad before returning to the tank. The filstars have baskets inside the canister that you will with the media, and you can pull out the baskets during cleaning time which makes it very easy to clean. I usually take the basket with the bio media and float it in the tank while cleaning everything else. The foam pads are reuseable, and I put mine in my washer and do a quick wash with only hot water. The cotton pads are thrown away and replaced.
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