Other Recent Articles
How the Application Layer Works
In the previous section we reviewed several aspects of the Transport Layer. We learned a great deal of information; covering sockets, ports, TCP, UDP, segments, and datagrams. Now we will take a look at the fourth and final layer of the TCP/IP stack: the Application Layer. What Does The Application Layer Do? A lot of [...]
27Jan2008 | admin | 9 comments | Continued
How the Transport Layer Works
In the previous section we took a look at the Internet Layer. We took apart the IP header information, reviewed IP addresses and routing information, and briefly discussed ARP and RARP technologies. Next in line we have the Transport layer- the layer responsible for actually getting the data packets to a specific location. When we [...]
27Jan2008 | admin | 5 comments | Continued
How the Internet Layer Works
In the previous section, we learned about the Network Access layer. Essentially we learned more about the anatomy of a frame, physical addressing, and what exactly the physical layer accomplishes. Don’t relax yet- we still have three layers to go! What the Internet Layer Is Responsible For The Internet Layer is used to deliver data [...]
27Jan2008 | admin | 7 comments | Continued
How the Network Access Layer Works
Perhaps one of the most mysterious layers of the TCP/IP model is the Network Access Layer. It is the layer responsible for interfacing with your network’s architecture- something the everyday user can’t see. As we can’t physically interact with the Network Access Layer, how it works often eludes networking students. If you haven’t already, you [...]
27Jan2008 | admin | 3 comments | Continued
How Encapsulation Works Within the TCP/IP Model
In the previous section we reviewed the TCP/IP and OSI model. For the sake of clarity, we will be using the TCP/IP model to demonstrate encapsulation, as compared to the OSI model. If you are still struggling with grasping concepts of the TCP/IP model you may wish to view the previous section once more. Otherwise, [...]
27Jan2008 | admin | 22 comments | Continued
The TCP/IP Stack and the OSI Model
In the previous section, we learned that TCP/IP is a suite of protocols and rules. It allows us to communicate with other computers and devices over a connection oriented network. What we didn’t cover was the TCP/IP and OSI model- which helps us understand the TCP/IP suite in a manner of layers and modules. The [...]
27Jan2008 | admin | 10 comments | Continued
An Introduction To Tcp/Ip
TCP/IP , or Transmission Control protocol/Internet Protocol, is literally the backbone of internet and network communication. The concepts of TCP/IP are difficult to grasp without previous experience, so don’t be dismayed if it doesn’t click instantly. To better help you out, we’ll start from the very beginning- with a definition of just what a network [...]
27Jan2008 | admin | 28 comments | Continued
How to Subnet a Network
A properly designed subnet can do wonders for the security and performance of a network. The main idea in subnetting is to divide a network into smaller pieces, which we call subnets. Actually implementing a subnet is typically more difficult than simply using the default subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. This usually means that temporary or [...]
27Jan2008 | admin | 78 comments | Continued
A Guide to Bandwidth and Throughput
Bandwidth and throughput are two networking concepts that are commonly misunderstood. System administrators regularly use these two concepts to help plan, design, and build new networks. Networking exams also include a few bandwidth and throughput questions, so brushing up on these two subjects is a good idea before exam day. What is Bandwidth? You probably [...]
27Jan2008 | admin | 3 comments | Continued
A Guide To Network Math
You are probably accustomed to using what is called decimal- the numbering system you’ve been learning since kindergarten. In networking we use three primary numbering systems: binary, decimal, and hexadecimal. It is direly important to know what each numbering system is for, and more specifically how to convert from one system to another. But don’t [...]
27Jan2008 | admin | 3 comments | Continued
